Ravenea moorei

Until 2023, Ravenea moorei was thought to be extinct in the wild, with the specimens growing in Kew believed to be the only ones left in the world.

But during a field trip that year, a team led by Kew researcher Bill Baker discovered 12 adult Ravenea moorei in the tropical forest of the Comoro Islands.

While this is good news, the tree is still critically endangered. Although Kew has a mature Ravenea moorei in its Palm House and several young plants in its tropical nursery, it's still a race against time to protect these rare palms.

Ravenea moorei is endangered due to destruction of forests for farmland, along with the spread of invasive plants, such as the strawberry guava.

Ravenea moorei can reach heights between 15 to 20m tall. The trunk is grey-brown and measures 23cm across. A tree will have around 15 green leaves in its crown, each measuring about 2.5m long and 70cm across. Each leaf is made up of a number of smaller ‘leaflets’ growing from a central axis called the rachis.

The inflorescence resembles a brush and emerges from between the leaves. The species is dioecious, meaning that each individual is either male or female. Kew’s mature palm is male, so cannot produce seed.

If the flowers on a female palm are pollinated, yellow-orange fleshy fruits will form, which are around 16 mm in diameter and each contain a spherical dark brown seed.

Read the scientific description for Ravenea moorei