Raphia australis

The Raphia australis is also known as the Kosi Palm, Giant Palm, or the Raffia Palm.

Palms have the largest leaves of all trees, and the genus Raphia has the largest leaves of all palms. The majestic Kosi Palm, featured here, is indigenous to South Africa. It was discovered as its own species in 1968, when it was observed flowering in a unique way.

The Kosi Palm gets its common name from its indigenous place of origin, Kosi Bay, a series of four interlinked lakes in the Maputaland area of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. These lakes form part of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The natural distribution of the Kosi Palm is restricted to a small area stretching from just south of Kosi Bay to 40 km or further north of Maputo, which is near the southern border of Mozambique.

In it’s native habitat, this palm is threatened by habitat loss by agriculture, but it is secure in the protected Kosi Bay.

The Merwin Conservancy is currently stewarding one juvenile Raphia australis in the Merwin Palm Collection on Maui.