Palm conservation

 As well as cycad conservation, the MBC is also working toward palm conservation.

In the pictures below, they are testing out different soil types for growing palm seeds. As you can see one of the soil types is not very successful, and the palm seeds aren’t staying in the soil! Fortunately the rest are working out.

They also have some interesting collections. Here is the world’s smallest palm (fully grown) as well as a massive palm that’s only about 10 years old.

Below is a seedling of Coco De Mer from the Seychelles. It’s a palm with many fascinating stories. Probably because the seeds look like someone’s backside! They are also the largest seeds produced by any plant.

One of their significant palms is Attalea crassispatha. It’s on the endangered list because there are less than 30 plants left in Haiti. While I was visiting, it was producing fruit for the first time! The seed will be harvested, and either stored in the seedbank or grown into new plants.

Here are some volunteers who work in the seedbank. They are preparing palm seed for long-term storage. Seed banks are a vital storehouse conserving for plants — they serve as a “backup plan” for storing plants that are at risk of becoming extinct. Work like this is critical for palm survival in the future!