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NatureSurprise 5/5Difficulty 3/5Reviewed on October 17, 2026

The coco de mer, a palm from the Seychelles, produces the largest seed in the plant kingdom, which can weigh more than 15 kilograms.

Why it is true

The Lodoicea maldivica palm grows naturally on just two islands in the Seychelles. The fruit takes six to seven years to ripen, and the two-lobed seed can be more than 30 centimetres long. For centuries the nuts washed ashore and people thought they grew at the bottom of the sea.

Source: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

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