The coconut palm is a long-lived plant; it has a single trunk, 20-30 meter tall, its bark is smooth and gray, marked by ringed scars left by fallen leaf bases. The tree can live as long as 100 years producing an annual yield of 50 to 100 coconuts. The tree can live as long as 100 years producing an annual yield of 50 to 100 coconuts.
A relatively fast-growing, solitary, slender, unarmed palm which characteristically front the coast in tropical regions and is the allusion of lush, tropical paradises with sandy beaches.
Trunk
Stem tall, slender, grey, prominently ringed with old leaf scars (when the leaf die off, it will fall off cleanly from the trunk, leaving a neat rectangular pattern of circular scars).
Foliage
Fronds pinnate, large, up to 5 m long, yellowish-green to dark green, ascending to spreading to drooping, bearing 80 to 100 pairs of leaflets that taper to a split tip, with prominently elevated midrib; leaflets simple, lanceolate, 1.5 to 5 cm wide, 50 to 150 cm long.
Flowers
Inflorescences spreading, 1.2 to 1.6 m long, cream to yellow, arising from within the lower fronds, consisting of 5 female flowers (with each set between 2 smaller male flowers), enclosed by two bracts (60 to 90 cm long) for protection purposes; inner bract is woody and pointed; male flowers will open about 10 to 20 days to encourage cross-pollination, before the female flowers open.
Fruit
Fruits ovoid, up to 30 cm long, ripening from light green or yellow to brown, consisting of a smooth outer skin (exocarp), a fibrous husk (mesocarp) and a hardy woody shell (endocarp); seed has a narrow, white layer of edible endosperm (flesh) and a large cavity filled with water.
LANDSCAPING FEATURES
Landscape Uses
Coastal, Roadside Tree / Palm, Beachfront / Shoreline
FAUNA, POLLINATION AND DISPERSAL
Fauna Pollination Dispersal Associated Fauna
Caterpillar Food Plant
PLANT CARE AND PROPAGATION
Light Preference
Full Sun
Water Preference
Moderate Water
FOLIAR
Mature Foliage Colour(s)
Green
Leaf Area Index (LAI) for Green Plot Ratio
2.5 (Palm - Solitary)
NON - FOLIAR AND STORAGE
Trunk Type (Palm)
Solitary Habit, Aboveground
FLORAL (ANGIOSPERM)
Flower Colour(s)
Cream / Off-White, Yellow / Golden
FRUIT, SEED AND SPORE
Mature Fruit Colour(s)
Brown, Green, Yellow / Golden
OTHERS
Master ID
31224
Species ID
5618
Flora Disclaimer
The information in this website has been compiled from reliable sources, such as reference works on medicinal plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment and NParks does not purport to provide any medical advice. Readers should always consult his/her physician before using or consuming a plant for medicinal purposes.