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Cocos nucifera
Arecaceae FAMILY

Cocos nucifera

Cocos nucifera

Edibility
5/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Tree
Growth—

Coconuts grow well in lowland tropical regions as far as 26° north and south of the Equator and up to a maximum elevation of around 1,000 metres[1], though most commercial cultivation takes place within 20° of the Equator and below 300 metres[2]. They grow best in areas with a high rainfall[1]. Plants succeed in moist tropical climates where temperatures never fall below 10°c, the average annual rainfall is 1,500mm or more and the driest month has 25mm or more rain[1]. The coconut palm thrives in a wide range of soils, from coarse sand to clay, so long as the soils have adequate drainage and aeration[3]. Requires a well-drained soil with a high water table[1]. Plants grow well in full sun, even when small[1]. Plants can tolerate at least some maritime exposure with salt spray and somewhat saline soil conditions[1]. Coconut palms are halophytic and tolerate salt in the soil well[3]. Plants are intolerant of drought[2]. Coconut can grow in soils with a wide range of pH but grows best at pH 5.5 - 7[3]. Coconut palm is one of the most widely grown tree crops in the tropical countries[3]. Its growth characteristics are ideal for small production and also for combining with other crops. The crown morphology and the relatively wide spacing facilitate the planting of a wide spectrum of field crops in coconut plantations[3]. It has therefore been intercropped with cereals (cassava, sweet potatoes, yams) or fruits (bananas, passion fruit, pineapples and ground nuts) in many countries[3]. Very occasionally a small pearl-like concretion, or 'coconut pearl', is found in the cavity of the nut. Generally about the size of a canary's egg or even that of a cherry, they are white or bluish white in colour with a pearl-like lustre and harder in texture than a pearl[4]. Made almost entirely of a form of lime or calcium carbonate, they are greatly prized and often used in jewellery[4]. The tall varieties reproduce by cross-pollination[3]. Male flowers open first, producing pollen for about 2 weeks. Female flowers are not usually receptive until about 3 weeks after the opening of the inflorescence, making cross-pollination the usual pattern[3]. Reproduction in dwarf varieties is generally through self-pollination[3]. Female flowers are receptive about a week after the male flowers open, both ending at about the same time[3]. Tall palms tend to be slow maturing, flowering 6 - 10 years after planting and with a life-span of 80 - 100 years[5]. Dwarf palms begin bearing in their third year and have a productive life of 30 - 35(-40) years[5]. The trees flower and fruit all year round. A new inflorescence is produced every month, whilst the fruit takes a year to mature[5].

Propagation

Seed - Fresh seed germinates readily at 27 - 30°c[2]. The seed has no dormancy, and growth of the embryo and seedling is continuous. Germination may begin while the fruits are still attached to the palm[3]. For seed propagation, nuts are collected from selected mother palms or special seed gardens[3]. Tissue culture is a popular method of vegetative propagation for producing a large number of progeny[3]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Cocos+nucifera>

Pollinators

Wind

References

  1. [1]Palms of the World — Blombery. A. & Rodd. T. · Angus and Robertson · 1992 · ISBN 0-207-14848-1 ↩︎An excellent guide, well illustrated, with information on cultivation, uses, habitat etc of almost 200 species of Palms.
  2. [2]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  3. [3]World Agroforesty Centre — http://www.worldagroforestry.org/ ↩︎An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc.
  4. [4]Nuts. — Howes. F. N. · Faber · 1948 · ISBN - ↩︎Rather old but still a masterpiece. Has sections on tropical and temperate plants with edible nuts plus a section on nut plants in Britain. Very readable.
  5. [5]Edible Nuts. — Wickens G.E. · FAO, Rome. · 1995 · http://www.fao.org/docrep/ · ISBN 92-5-103748-5 ↩︎Detailed information on 20 of the most valuable nut crops, plus more basic information on a wide range of other nut-producing plants. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
  6. [6]Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. — http://www.prota.org ↩︎An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
  7. [7]Cornucopia II — Facciola. S. · Kampong Publications, California. · 1998 · ISBN 0-9628087-2-5 ↩︎The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
  8. [8]A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. — Usher. G. · Constable · 1974 · ISBN 0094579202 ↩︎Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
  9. [9]Vegetables in the Tropics — Tindall. H. D. · MacMillan, Oxford. · 1983 · ISBN 0-333-24268-8 ↩︎An excellent, in-depth look at the main vegetable crops that can be grown in the Tropics, plus many less well-known plants.
  10. [10]Medicinal Plants in the South Pacific — WHO Regional Publications, Manilla. · 1998 · ISBN 92-9061-118-9 ↩︎Excellent guide to 102 medicinal herbs of the Pacific Islands, with photographs of each plant and details of their constituents, biological activities and traditional uses. A description of each plant, together with habitat and distribution is given.
  11. [11]Medicinal Plants of the Guianas — DeFilipps, R. A.; Maina, S. L.; & Crepin, J. · Smithsonian Museum · http://botany.si.edu/bdg/medicinal/index.html ↩︎A down-loadable PDF document of a book in pre-publication awaiting illustration. An excellent, if rather terse, guide to the traditional medicinal uses of the plants of the region
  12. [12]Tropix 7 — CIRAD · http://tropix.cirad.fr/en ↩︎An on-line guide to the timbers of 245 species of trees.