Makalani palm

Fan-leaved makalani palms define the landscape of the Owambo plains – their nuts are carved into souvenirs and their sap made into palm wine.

Hyphaene petersiana is a palm growing to about 15–20 m, with a straight trunk and a crown of grey-green, fan-shaped leaves with spiny stalks. The plants are dioecious – only female individuals bear fruit. The hard, glossy, brown fruits, the size of a small ball, take a very long time to ripen and contain a hard white endosperm known as vegetable ivory. The palm tolerates drought and seasonal flooding well, growing on savannas and in river valleys.

Significance in the country

In northern Namibia the omulunga palm is part of the everyday life of the Owambo people: the leaves are woven into baskets and mats, sap from the trunk is made into palm wine, and the nuts are carved into key rings and figurines sold to tourists as “makalani nuts”.

Where it grows

Grows in the north of the country – most abundant on the plains and seasonally flooded areas of the Cuvelai in the Omusati, Oshana, Ohangwena and Oshikoto regions, and also in Kavango, Zambezi and northern Kunene.

More: Wikipedia (en)