What’s an OLA?
A greeting in Spanish?
(No, that’s “hola.” However, we ARE glad to see you.)
A moisturizing cream?
(No, that’s Olay. As in, “Oil of.” But your wrinkles are barely noticeable.)
The largest palm leaf in the world? Whose tree grows 80 feet tall?
(Bingo. You’re smart!)
OLA is a palm leaf that was inscribed and used as a communication vehicle long before papyrus. OLAs were used for centuries in business, commerce, art and record keeping and are passed down from one generation to the next, just like books and family heirlooms.
To us, it symbolizes Smart and Resourceful communication which is what we strive for in today’s saturated and complicated market.
Okay, maybe OLA is not the most obvious metaphor we could have chosen. But it’ll grow on you.
about the palm
We’re impressed with your quest for knowledge!
Here’s a more detailed summary of our namesake:
AKA: Talipot Palm Scientific Classification (for you true botanists):
Kingdom: Plantae | Division: Magnoliophyta | Class: Liliopsida | Order: Arecales | Family: Arecaceae | Genus: Oorypha | Species: C. umbraculifera | Binomial name: Corypha umbraculifera.
The Ola, or Talipot palm, is a species of giant palm native to southem India and Sri Lanka. It’s one of the largest palms in the world. Individual specimens have reached heights of up to 82 feet, with stems over four feet in diameter.
The Ola is a member of the fan palm family, with leaves up to 16 feet in diameter and it bears the largest flower of any plant on earth. The flower head grows up to 25 feet in diameter, and consists of millions of small flowers borne on a branched stalk at the top of the trunk.
More useless facts
Ola palms are now only cultivated throughout southeast Asia and are rare in the natural world. Historically, the leaves were written upon in various Southeast Asian cultures using an iron stylus to create palm leaf manuscripts. The leaves are also used for thatching, and the sap can be tapped to make palm wine. Over the centuries, many famous scriptures have been written on Ola leaves. Horoscopes written on Ola leaves provided guidance for persons yet to be born. The leaves were not bound like books, but were carried around in baskets. In Ola-focused cultures, it’s a matter of pride and tradition to copy the original leaves year after year.
Congratulations for reading this far!
You will be FASCINATING at your next cocktail party!