The dainty bamboo palm, a new plant species discovered at the San Diego Zoo. (Photo courtesy SDZWA)
Nestled in the shade next to the flamingo lagoon, a new plant species has been quietly growing at the San Diego Zoo.
The dainty bamboo palm, as it is now named, is a new plant species that was discovered at the San Diego Zoo on Monday during a routine check of its bountiful palm inventory.
The plant was first seen anchored in the shade of Fern Canyon.
Formally called the Chamaedorea delicata, slender bamboo-like stems shoot from the base and are topped with feather-like leaves, hence the palm’s dainty look and name. The male species has bright yellow flowers that turn black, while the females turn green to yellow.
The San Diego Zoo is widely known for its diverse wildlife with animals from around the world, from its condors to its giant pandas.
However, the zoo has equally diverse plant life and is also an accredited botanic garden that spans more than 1,900 acres of greenery across the Zoo and Safari Park.
According to the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, the Zoo campus is home to 700,000 plants from 3,100 species. Over at the Safari Park, 1.3 million plants from 3,700 species coexist.
The organization says that these collections fuel conservation, research, and discoveries such as the dainty bamboo palm. Their latest research includes discovering new plants and preserving the old. In July, the alliance opened the world’s first “Frozen Zoo,” which consisted of a collection of cryopreserved, or frozen, plants.
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