The Asian Palmyra Palm produces fruits which from a distance resemble coconuts, but on closer observation are rather different. The fruits grow in clusters on tall pretty looking palm trees. This page provides some basic information about the Asian palmyra palm together with some photos, some proverbs and recipes.
| Scientific name: | Borassus flabellifer |
| English: | Asian palmyra palm |
| English: | Toddy palm |
| English: | Sugar palm |
| English: | Cambodian palm |
| English: | Ice apple |
| Dutch: | Suikerpalm |
| French: | Palmier de Palmyre |
| German: | Palmyrapalme |
| German: | Lontarpalme |
| German: | Lontaropalme |
| Family: | Arecaceae |
| Order: | Arecales |
| Origin: | |
| Distribution: | |
| Evergreen or deciduous: | Evergreen |
| Flowers: | There are separate male and female trees. Male and female inflorescences are tapped to produce a sweet sap. |
| Leaves: | The crown of the tree is a cluster of leaves with a fan form. |
| Fruits | Fruits grow in clusters and have a superficial resemblance to coconuts. The fruits are round and have a dark-brown color on the bottom part and a green color on the top. The color changes to dark-yellow when it ripens. Fruits have a diameter of 13-20 centimeters. When the fruits are cut you find inside three jelly seed sockets with pale-white translucent flesh which can be eaten. The flesh has a sweet taste. |
| Trunk | The trunk of this tree is like a coconut's, but the leaves are quite different so the two palms cannot be confused. |
| Climate and weather: | |
| Pollination: | |
| Height: | The Palmyra palm is a large palm tree, usually 10 to 25 meters high, but sometimes growing up to 30 meters tall. |
| Type of soil: | |
| Growth rate: | Especially when young, this is a very slow growing palm tree. It may take 20 years until the first harvest, but the tree can get more than a hundred years old. |
| Spacing (close range) | |
| Spacing (wide range) | |
| Propagation: | |
| Insect pests: | |
| Diseases: | |
| Harvesting: | Fruits are harvested by hand. Climb the tree and cut clusters of fruits with a hatchet or big knife. |
| Uses: | The pulp of the fruits is eaten fresh. From young inflorescences a sweet sap (toddy) can be harvested, which has a nice taste and can be concentrated to produce sugar. Other uses of the tree include the wood, for example for construction of houses, and the leaves, for example for making mats or hats. |
Last modified: 20 August 2010 - Copyright © 1995-2010 by Hein Bijlmakers - Contact me
