Coconut palm is the tall, graceful tree on which the coconut grows. It probably is native to Southeast Asia and the islands of Melanesia in the Pacific Ocean. But it has been introduced into all the tropical and subtropical parts of the world. It stands from 40 to 100 feet (12 to 30 meters) high. Large featherlike leaves spread from the top of its branchless trunk.
The coconut palm is one of the most useful trees. People in the tropics build houses and bridges from its wood. They use whole leaves to make thatch roofs, and strips of leaves to make hats, mats, and baskets. They make a sweet drink called toddy or tuba from the nectar of the tree’s blossoms. They also use this nectar to make sugar, vinegar, and an alcoholic beverage.
The coconut
is the fruit of the coconut palm. Clusters of these large round fruits grow among the leaves of the tree. Each coconut has a smooth light-colored rind. Under the rind is a 1- to 2-inch (2.5- to 5-centimeter) husk of reddish-brown fibers. The husk and rind surround a brown, woody shell that has three soft spots called eyes at one end. The rind and husk are usually cut away before the coconuts are marketed.
The coconut seed lies inside the shell. It is a ball of crisp, white, sweet-tasting coconut meat covered by a tough brown skin. Its hollow center holds a sugary liquid called coconut milk. The coconut seed measures from 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 centimeters) long and from 6 to 10 inches (15 to 25 centimeters) across.
A well-tended tree produces about a hundred coconuts a year. Each fruit takes about a year to ripen. Ripe coconuts fall from the tree. However, on plantations, the coconuts are usually cut from the trees every two or three months.
Solid, dried coconut meat is called copra. Copra contains a valuable oil that is used for cooking and to make margarine and soap. Tropical lands produce millions of tons of copra each year. About 6,000 medium-sized coconuts make 1 ton (0.9 metric ton). To make copra, coconuts are split open and dried in the sun or in ovens. Some coconuts are dried by smoking.
Throughout the world, people enjoy eating crisp, juicy chunks of fresh coconut meat. Shredded and dried coconut meat adds a distinctive flavor and texture to candy bars and other foods. People in tropical lands also use the coconut husk. They weave the short, stiff fibers (called coir) of the husk into mats, ropes, and brooms.
Growing coconut palms.
In the tropics, people can plant coconut palms all year. They half bury the coconut in a horizontal position. Within six months, a leaf sprouts from one of the eyes and pushes through the husk. The palm can be transplanted after one to four years. The palm will bear coconuts after seven or eight years. Coconut palms need much water and a temperature of at least 72 °F (22 °C) most of the year.
A disease called lethal yellowing has destroyed many coconut palms in Florida, Texas, Mexico, the Bahamas, and areas of the Caribbean. The disease is caused by microorganisms carried by insects called planthoppers.
