Birthday
HydrangeasOn the Seychelles island of Praslin lies a forest that seems to have survived from prehistoric times: huge fan-shaped palm leaves form a green canopy over the path, and beneath them grow the famous coco de mer palms, with the largest seeds on Earth. This is the Vallée de Mai nature reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here is what makes it unique.
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About the reserve
The Vallée de Mai is one of the few surviving primeval palm forests of the Seychelles and was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1983. Besides the coco de mer, other endemic palms grow here, and the rare Seychelles black parrot lives in the canopy.
The coco de mer palm
- The largest seed in the plant kingdom: a nut can weigh more than 15 kilograms.
- Separate sexes. Male and female trees grow separately; the male flower spikes look like long catkins.
- Slow development. A fruit takes about 6–7 years to ripen, and the trees live for centuries.
- Endemic. In the wild it grows only on Praslin and Curieuse.
Why the palm is protected
The coco de mer grows slowly and its seeds take a long time to germinate, so the population is vulnerable. The nuts were prized curiosities in the Middle Ages: they were found floating in the ocean and believed to grow on underwater trees, hence the name “coconut of the sea”. Today collecting and exporting the nuts is strictly controlled, and a nut can only be bought legally with an official export permit.
How to visit
- The reserve is open to visitors, with trails of various lengths.
- Stay on the trails and do not touch nuts on the ground.
- Listen for the Seychelles black parrot in the canopy.
For the ordinary coconut, a relative of the coco de mer, see “Coconut”, and for more remarkable trees, “Unusual trees of the world”.
FAQ
Can I take a coco de mer nut home?
Only with an official certificate issued when you buy from a licensed seller.
Is the coco de mer related to the coconut?
Both are palms, but they belong to different genera: the coco de mer is Lodoicea.
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Author: Maria Svitlovir
Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.
