Nypa fruticans (mangrove palm, nipa palm)

A very unusual palm from the mangrove forests of Asia. It grows with a prostrate or subterranean trunk from which large, pinnate leaves emerge, making it appear as if they are growing directly out of the ground. It thrives in the soft mud of coastal forests. It is the only palm adapted to the mangrove biome and capable of growing in brackish water (though it also grows very well in freshwater).

While today only a single Nypa species exists, the genus Nypa was once almost globally distributed during the Eocene (around 56 million years ago). Fossil pollen from mangrove palms in India has been dated to 70 million years ago, making the genus Nypa one of the oldest surviving genera, and Nypa fruticans the oldest surviving palm. This is also reflected in its taxonomy, as it has no close relatives among modern palms. It is placed in its own subfamily, the Nypoideae.

The young plants currently have 1-2 leaves and are delivered in 13x13cm square pots.