The tree is monocarpic (flowers and produces fruit only once in a lifetime), and is seen mostly in Southeast Asia.
Published Jun 14, 2025 | 4:30 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 24, 2025 | 6:32 PM
The talipot tree at Lalbagh.
Synopsis: A reel that went viral made several people visit the Lalbagh Botanical Garden in Bengaluru for a glimpse of the talipot palm in full bloom. However, they were disappointed.
Several Bengalureans headed to Lalbagh and returned disappointed after an Instagram reel announced “once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon happening in Bangalore right now.”
The “phenomenon” was a talipot palm (Corypha Umbraculifera) — also called century palm — that reportedly bloomed.
The reel uploaded on 6 June went viral, and several people visited the botanical garden. Soon, their disappointment flooded social media.
“The tree is dead now. Probably you have to take down this post instead of sending people on a wild goose chase,” a disappointed user posted.
“CAUTION: This is a OLD story. I visited Lalbagh today just to see the tree un bloom after seeing this video. There are several palm trees but NOT a sing tree is in bloom right NOW…So please don’t visit for this purpose. You will sorely disappointed [sic],” another wrote.
The Deputy Director of the Horticulture Department, Sri Balakrishna, said the tree bloomed eight-ten months ago.
“It has fully dried now. Just yesterday, I got a phone call asking about the tree, and I told him the same thing. The tree had bloomed 8-10 months back, and the reel is now circulating,” he said.
Balakrishna said that when the tree bloomed, the staff members at the garden were excited, and they took pictures of the tree.
The tree is monocarpic (flowers and produces fruit only once in a lifetime), and is seen mostly in Southeast Asia. Its leaves were earlier used for writing. The palm leaf is known as Tada Patra in Sanskrit, which gave the tree the name talipot.
South India’s tropical, humid climate is perfect for the talipot’s growth. These trees grow up to 25 metres (82 ft) and have a girth of 1.3 metres, making them one of the largest palms.
Balakrishna said the tree takes 9-10 months to bloom. “Initially, some flowers can be seen, and it will take another 9-10 months for it to bloom fully.”
Coming back to the reel, people seemed to have missed a point. Praveen Singh, who made the reel and posted it on ‘hiddengemstour.in’, had stated that the tree was at the final stage of its life after the fruit-bearing phase.
“Head to Lalbagh to get a last glimpse. You might have to wait for decades to see another one bloom again,” he noted.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
