This magnificent fan palm is Falla Palm (Copernicia fallaensis), sometimes called the Giant Yarey Palm. It belongs to the palm family, Arecaceae, and is found naturally only in central Cuba. Its extremely restricted range makes it one of Cuba’s rarest and most threatened palms.

It is one of the largest members of the genus Copernicia. A mature palm may reach about 60 to 65 feet in height, with a massive, smooth, pale-gray trunk that can become noticeably thicker through the middle.

At the top is a dense, rounded crown of enormous fan-shaped leaves. Each leaf is divided into many stiff segments that radiate outward in a remarkably regular pattern. The leaves may appear blue-green, gray-green or almost silvery because of the waxy coating on their surfaces.

The heavy leaf stalks are broad and may carry sharp teeth along their edges, so this is a palm to admire without reaching into the crown. Old leaves may remain hanging beneath the living crown for a time before eventually falling away.

Small flowers are produced on long, branching stalks that emerge among the leaves. Although the individual flowers are not showy, the large clusters attract insects and are followed by rounded fruits.

The fruits begin green and darken as they mature. They provide food for animals, including fruit-eating bats, which may help disperse the seeds.

The species name fallaensis refers to the town of Falla in Cuba’s Ciego de Ávila Province, near one of the palm’s last remaining natural populations.

This palm was once more widespread in central Cuba, but its numbers declined dramatically as its habitat was altered and its leaves were repeatedly harvested for thatching, weaving and other traditional uses. Conservation accounts have described only a very small surviving wild population, making cultivated specimens especially important.

The genus Copernicia was named in honor of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus. Many of its species are native to Cuba, making the island an important center of diversity for these striking fan palms.

Copernicia fallaensis is therefore impressive for more than its size. Its immense silver-green leaves and powerful trunk make it one of the most dramatic palms in cultivation, while its rarity reminds us that even a tree of such strength and stature can remain highly vulnerable in the wild.