The Amazon rainforest holds many astonishing natural mysteries. One of them is the story of a tree that can walk. Not just a myth, this tree truly exists and is known as the walking palm (Socratea exorrhiza), Walking tree.
What Is the Walking Palm?
The walking palm is a type of palm tree that grows in the tropical rainforests of Central and South America, including the Amazon. It has a unique shape with long stilt roots that resemble supporting sticks, making it look like it’s “standing on its own legs.”
Can This Tree Really Walk?
Local communities in the Amazon have long believed that the walking palm can walk in search of sunlight. It does this by growing new roots toward brighter areas while gradually abandoning its older roots.
This phenomenon makes the tree appear to move. In fact, there’s even a myth claiming the tree can shift as far as 2–3 meters per year.
Myth vs. Scientific Fact
- Myth: The walking palm literally walks like an animal, moving from one place to another.
- Fact: The movement is not actual steps but the result of growing new roots while old ones die off. So, the tree doesn’t truly walk it simply “shifts itself” very slowly.
Even so, this unique growth process makes it look as if it can really move.
What Makes the Walking Palm Special?
- It has strong, distinctive stilt roots.
- It can adjust its position to get enough sunlight.
- It stands as one of the icons of Amazon rainforest biodiversity.
Lessons from the Walking Tree
The walking palm teaches us that nature always has clever ways to adapt. Even though it doesn’t truly walk, its ability to “move” in order to survive shows just how extraordinary the wonders of the Amazon rainforest are.
So, if you ever visit the Amazon and see a tree with tall, leg-like roots, don’t be surprised. It might just be the walking palm the tree that can walk.
