Dwarf palm

Whenever I pass through a hilly area in the UAE, I look out for the dwarf palm (Nannorrhops ritchieana), a rare plant found only in the hills of the Emirates or Oman in the Arabian Peninsula.

Known as Doom Sagir, the plant is unique due to its size: two metres in height. Its leaves look different from those of date palms and are more like palmyra palms found in the Indian subcontinent.

In June 2005, I noticed a dwarf palm on the Wadi Shawka-Wadi Huweilat Road just budding into flower. When I returned by the end of July, the tree was in full bloom. I never expected such a small plant could have thousands of flowers from just one stalk. I could see hundreds of bees, butterflies, moths, etc humming and drinking nectar from the tiny, flat, 2-3mm wide pinkish flowers.

The flowers produce so much nectar that they attract not only thousands of insects but also birds like the Purple Sunbird. In essence, this plant gives life to many animals.

In Oman, people use dwarf palm leaves for making baskets, hats, fancy items for decorating the racing camels, and dried leaves and stems as firewood. But I have not seen anyone using them likewise in the UAE. Also, it is yet to be introduced in the local nurseries. I only wish they were planted to decorate our city avenues and parks.