At over 200 years old, the Sabal palm was the oldest living specimen at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE).
As a young plant, it had lived in RBGE’s third site near Leith Walk, before being transported to the Tropical Palm House where it thrived throughout the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. In 2021, as the palm neared the end of its life and the Palm House was being prepared for restoration work, our horticulturists, scientists and artists found ingenious ways to ensure that the Sabal palm would live on.
Watch the short film below to hear more about their work.