Palmetum Hosts Europe's Second 'Suicide Palm' Bloom
For only the second time in European history, a rare 30-year-old "suicide palm" has begun its spectacular, terminal bloom at Santa Cruz de Tenerife's Palmetum botanical garden.
The Palmetum botanical garden in Santa Cruz de Tenerife is once again a focal point for botanists worldwide. The Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council, through the company Parque Marítimo Santa Cruz, announced yesterday that a rare 'suicide palm' (Corypha umbraculifera), over 30 years old, has been raising a pyramid of flowers towards the sky since last October. This is an exceptional event, not seen since 2021, and marks the second time such a palm has bloomed in the botanical garden and across the entire European continent.
This 'suicide palm' is now undergoing its spectacular flowering process. This incredible phenomenon has only ever occurred twice in European history, both times at the Palmetum. Botanists describe it as a "spectacle of life and death," famous for producing the largest flower cluster of any known plant – a massive structure up to six meters tall, holding millions of flowers.
These palms typically grow for 30 to 80 years. After this period, they use all their stored energy to create a colossal pyramid of flowers at their top. This particular specimen began its cycle after more than 30 years of development. It's called a "suicide palm" because it's monocarpic, meaning it flowers only once in its lifetime. After producing thousands of fruits, it completely exhausts itself in this massive reproductive effort and then dies.
This makes it a truly special sight for visitors. While many other palms flower so high up that their blooms are hard to see, this palm's location and growth pattern mean its impressive flower cluster is perfectly visible. You can observe it from point number nine on the botanical garden's Red Route, or from the path connecting the Octagon area to the Africa zone.
The team at the Palmetum considers it a great privilege to witness such a significant event for the second time in less than five years. They believe it undoubtedly reinforces the Palmetum's value as a hub for biodiversity and a place where unique biological milestones occur globally.