Coconut palm (Cocos nucifera)

Features and Characteristics

Cocos nucifera, commonly called coconut or coconut palm, is a tall tree that is native to tropical islands in the western Pacific. It has been commonly planted in frost free tropical areas throughout the world in a variety of conspicuous locations including coastal areas, beaches, parks, along streets, residential yards, near commercial buildings/hotels, and on golf courses. In the U. S., it will grow in southern Florida, the southern tip of Texas and Hawaii. It does not perform well in southern California. Trees will typically mature to 50-100′ tall over time. This is a single-trunked palm with a branchless, often-curved, light gray trunk which is swollen at the base and topped by a crown of pinnate, downward-arching, green fronds (to 15-20′ long). Fragrant yellow flowers in elongated clusters to 4′ long only appear in tropical climates where they bloom on and off throughout the year. Female flowers are followed by single-seeded coconuts (to 14″ long). Each coconut has a fibrous husk which surrounds a woody shell containing the coconut meat, milk and oil which are used in numerous food products around the world. Drinkable coconut water is the liquid inside green coconuts. Coconut milk is produced by grating the matue coconut meat, mixing it with water and then squeezing. Coconut meat can be eaten raw or cooked. Dried coconut meat (copra) is crushed to obtain coconut oil with residue sometimes added to animal feed. Coconut oil is used in cooking, cosmetics, soaps and margarine. The growing tip of this palm can be harvested and marketed under the name of heart of palm, but harvesting kills the plant. Other plant parts have a variety of uses, particularly in the Far East, including trunk (construction), fronds (weaving, baskets, thatching), endosperm (cosmetics) and sap (palm sugar or toddy).

Genus name comes from the Portuguese word coco meaning mask.

Specific epithet means bearing nuts.