Raffia Palm (Raphia Farinifera) Or Floury Raphia

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Raffia palm (Raphia farinifera) or floury raphia

The raffia palm is a large spreading palm whose robust trunk is covered on its base by old palms. The evergreen leaves can grow up to 1 to 20 meters long, they are erect, arched, divided into many linear leaflets measuring 1 to 2 meters, waxy in appearance and rather light green above, whitish below. Their petiole is thorny.

Small yellow-green flowers about 1 cm in diameter, in panicles 2 to 3 m long, develop in summer. They are followed by scaly fruits, ovoid, orange, about ten centimeters. Be careful, the tree does not bloom and fruit only once, after it dies, the rejections will take over.

It is a freezing tree that does not support less than 5° C, which explains why it is found mainly in East Africa and Madagascar. At home, we grow it in a greenhouse or veranda or as a houseplant.

  • Family: Arecaceae
  • Type: tree
  • Origin: Madagascar and East Africa
  • Color: yellow-green flowers
  • Sowing: yes
  • Cutting: no
  • Planting: spring
  • Flowering: summer
  • Height: up to 10 m

Ideal soil and exposure for the raffia palm

The raffia palm grows well in a cool, rich, well-drained, acidic or not, and at a sunny or half-shaded exposure. In its original environment, it grows mainly in humid zones, along the rivers.

Date of sowing and planting of the raffia palm

Sowing can be considered in the spring after soaking the seeds, but if you can, it is better to recover a rejection. Planting is done in the spring.

Board of care and cultivation of the palm with raffia

Remove the dried palms, and be careful that there is a good hygrometry in the veranda or room that hosts your raffia palm.

Harvesting, conservation and use of raffia

Raffia and not rafia!

The stipe of the raffia palm contains a floury substance rich in starch which is used as flour for food and is called "sago". A palm wine is also extracted from the raffia palm.

The raffia used as a link comes from the fibers of its leaves. But this raffia is also used in basketry to make baskets, hats, bags, etc., as well as to make russian carpets, beach mats...

Diseases, pests and parasites of the raffia palm

In the greenhouse, red spiders are the main enemies to be feared.

Location and favorable association of the raffia palm

It is a plant that is grown indoors, at home.

The Raphia farinifera is one of the palm species of the genus Raphia among the twenty existing...

(photo by Denis.prévôt - Personal work, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Raffia Palm (Raphia Farinifera) Or Floury Raphia

FAQ - 💬

❓ Are there different types of raffia?

👉 Let's call them raffia 1 and raffia 2. For raffia 1, the long fibers are split, sun-dried, sorted, sometimes dyed, and then wound into put-ups for distribution. To make raffia 2, the fiber is ground up and then processed in much the same way as paper or rayon.

❓ What is the description of raffia?

👉 Raffia is a fibre made from palm leaves. It is used to make mats and baskets. Some embroidered tablecloths or made raffia mats. Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

❓ What is the scientific name for raffia palm?

👉 RaphiaRaffia palm / Scientific name

❓ What is made from raffia palm?

👉 raffia răf´ēə [key] or raphiarā´fēə [key], fiber obtained from the raffia palm of Madagascar, exported for various uses, such as tying up plants that require support, binding together vegetables to be marketed, and weaving baskets, hats, and mats. It is also made into a native cloth that is exported as rabanna.

❓ What is raffia grass made of?

👉 Raffia is made from the segments of the leaves on the Palmyra palm, a tree native to Madagascar.

❓ What is raffia palm used for?

👉 The raffia fiber is obtained from its leaves and used to make baskets, hats, mats, and dyes. The slotted fruits of this African palm tree can produce cooking oil.

❓ What happens when raffia gets wet?

👉 Raffia also has a natural resistance to water, but the fibre itself is not considered waterproof. If soaked, it has the potential to lose a considerable amount of body. Caring for your raffia is simple but crucial to ensure its longevity.

❓ What is another name for raffia?

👉 In this page you can discover 11 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for raffia, like: sisal, tissue-paper, raphia, plait, felted, chenille, deerskin, hand-woven, genus Raffia, genus Raphia and horsehair.

❓ What is origin of raffia?

👉 The raffia fiber is obtained from the raffia (raphia) palm tree, which grows in tropical regions and in wet soil in Madagascar, Africa and the Philippines. The raffia palm (Raphia farinifera) is made of long leaves that can attain 60ft (18m), which makes it the palm tree with the largest branches.

❓ What are the characteristics of raffia?

👉 The raffia fibre is soft, pliable, strong, durable, easy to dye and biodegradable making it an excellent material for weaving baskets, hats, mats and rugs. It is also widely used for agricultural purposes to tie vegetables, plants in vineyards, flowers and floral arrangements. It is normally dyed with natural pigments.

❓ Why is raffia palm used to make baskets?

👉 Raffia is a natural fiber that is perfect for basket weaving; it is strong, holds dye superbly, and is easily malleable. Basketmakers have used raffia since the beginning of time, for its ease of use and aesthetic qualities.

❓ What are raffia palms?

👉 Raffia palms (Raphia) are a genus of about twenty species of palms native to tropical regions of Africa, and especially Madagascar, with one species (R. taedigera) also occurring in Central and South America.

❓ Is raffia a monocarpic tree?

👉 Raphia farinifera or commonly known as Raffia Palm is a tropical palm tree endemic to Africa that grows up to 10 m tall and 60 cm in trunk diameter. It is a monocarpic species, which means that its individual stems only flower once then die.

❓ What is Raphia farinifera?

👉 Raphia farinifera is a tropical African palm tree occurring in lowland riparian and swamp forest, also around human habitations and cultivated locations, on stream banks and other moist situations at altitudes of 50–1000 m.

❓ Where does raffia come from?

👉 Different species of raffia palm can be found around the world in parts of South East Asia, South and Central America, with the very best flourishing in the coastal valleys of Madagascar. Raffia harvesting is considered a sustainable practice, which means that the plant is not harmed during the process and can continue to grow and produce.

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