Dypsis decaryi

triangle palm

Triangle palm exhibits a striking geometry - fronds are stacked upon one another at three equidistant points on the trunk, thereby forming a triangular frond arrangement. This palm is relatively easy to grow and is drought tolerant.

Madagascar natives known as Tatsimo made use of the triangle palm in its limited native range, though their use of it is now more restricted because of conservation measures taken to protect this rare palm. Fruits used to be prepared into a kind of fermented drink, but today they are primarily either sold to the nursery industry (beginning in the early 1990s) or eaten as a sweet snack. Children are the ones who primarily enjoy this treat, either eating the fruits raw in the field or bringing back baskets of fruit to be squeezed and added to water to create a sweet custard that tastes of vanilla and coconut.

The Tatsimo used the leaves whole to thatch roofs and walls, but also pulled them apart to make rope and twine. Although thatched roofs result in cooler houses because of their good ventilation, the natives have come to prefer corrugated iron roofs because they are more durable and also a sign of wealth. Social stratification based on what one owns is a trademark of materialistic culture, so what’s practical is often replaced by what is perceived as newer, more expensive, and not even necessarily needed. Industries fuel the fire by stigmatizing more traditional ways of life and older products so that they can make more money by selling more new products, and the cycle continues. Oh progress...