We usually know of Nipah (Nypa fruiticans) as the leaves that line the plate of our char kway teow. But there’s more than one use for this leaf, and it’s something you don’t commonly see in our mainly-urban environments: thatching for roofs. yg shows us how.

the dried fronds of the nipah palm were and are still being used as thatching in singapore and our neighbouring countries. there are still a few places in singapore where this material is used for roofing to give it the rustic feel or look. i was at the pasir ris farmway when i came across these atap thatch.

the nipah palm is the among the few palms that grow well in mangroves. it grows in soft mud, usually where the water is calmer, but where there is regular inflow of freshwater and nutritious silt. they can be found inland, as far as the tide can deposit the palm’s floating seeds. it can tolerate infrequent inundation, so long as the soil does not dry out for too long.

Find out more at yg’s blog.

Tags: Nipah leaf, thatching