Facts on Coconut Palm Trees

Coconut palm trees grow in subtropical and tropical regions of the world.

The scientific name for the coconut palm tree is Cocos nucifera, according to agroforestry.net. Each coconut palm tree has 40 to 60 flower-bearing branches that eventually yield coconuts. The average branch on a coconut palm tree is between 15 and 18 feet in length. Common names for coconut palm trees include the iru and ha'ari.

Size

Coconut palm trees grow between 65 and 72 feet after 40 years of growth, according to agroforestry.net. The canopy of the coconut palm tree has a diameter between 26 and 30 feet. The growth rate of coconut palm trees is between 12 to 20 inches a year.

Soil & Roots

Coconut palm trees are able to grow in a wide range of soils if water-logging does not take place within 3.3 feet of the surface, according to agroforestry.net. Each coconut palm tree has between 2,000 and 4,000 roots that can grow as deep as 16 feet. Roots usually span a diameter of 20 feet in the soil.

Types

The two main types of coconut palm trees are known as talls and dwarfs, according to agroforestry.net. Talls are the most common types of coconut palm trees. Tall coconut palm trees are cross-pollinated and produce a high yield while dwarf coconut palm trees are self-pollinated, making them genetically homogeneous.

Geography

Coconut palm trees are found in all tropical and subtropical regions within 23 degrees north and south of the equator, according to agroforestry.net. Coconut palm trees do grow in other parts of the world, but typically only flower and will not yield fruit. Specific areas where coconut palm trees grow include Southeast Asia, islands in the Indian Ocean, the southern part of India, the Ivory Coast, Fiji, Polynesia, Micronesia, Brazil, some parts of Africa, and the Caribbean.

Fun Fact

Historians believe that the Polynesians brought coconut palm trees with them to the Pacific Islands over 4,500 years ago, according to agroforestry.net.

Taxonomy

The coconut palm tree belongs to the arecaceae family and the cocoidea subfamily, according to agroforestry.net.

References

• Agroforestry.net: Coconut Palm Trees

Resources

• University of Florida Extension Program: University of Florida Extension Program
• UCC Biology Department: Coconut Palm Tree
• College of Cultural Agricultural and Human Resources: Coconut Palms from Seed
• The University of Georgia: Coconut
• UCLA: Coconut