Skip to content
sintropia.club
PT EN

Plants

coconut palm

Cocos nucifera L.

Family: Arecaceae · Genus: Cocos

coconut

Secondary II Emergent No biomass production
Douglas Goldman · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist

High-value palm naturalized along Brazilian coastlines. Pasini lists it in the emergent stratum of Tabela 3. Tolerates salinity and coastal winds; traditional in agroforestry systems of the Brazilian Northeast and Bahia coast.

Götsch succession

Götsch stage
Secondary II
Ecological role
Late secondary
Primary stratum
Emergent
Strata
Emergent
Biomass class
No biomass production

Environment

Light requirement
Full sun
Water requirement
Moderate
Drought tolerance
High
Waterlogging tolerance
Low
Soil pH range
5–8
Preferred soil texture
Sandy, Loamy
Hardiness zones
10–13

Morphology

Mature height
10–30 m
Recommended spacing
7–9 m
Root system
Fibrous
Root depth
Medium
Growth rate
Moderate
Lifespan
≥ 60 years
Time to first harvest
60 months

Biomes & climate

Köppen classes

Where it fits in a guild

Coconut palm takes the Emergent stratum in the Secondary II phase of succession — in a guild it shares the line with species from the other strata, each harvesting light at its own height, in its own time.

Design my guild

Free account — and the catalog stays open, no sign-up needed.

Emergent · ≈30 m High Medium Low Ground cover

🪴 Cultivation

Naturalised along the Brazilian NE and N coast (Flora e Funga do Brasil lists it as naturalised, Atlantic Forest domain). Tolerates salinity and coastal wind; best on well-drained sandy soils, pH 5-8. Responds to irrigation and potassium fertilisation.

📅 Phenology

Flowering months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

Fruiting months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

❓ Frequently asked questions

How long until the first harvest of coconut palm?

The first harvest of coconut palm comes around 60 months after planting.

What spacing is recommended for coconut palm?

The recommended spacing for coconut palm is 7–9 m.

How tall does coconut palm grow?

At maturity, coconut palm reaches 10–30 m tall.

When does coconut palm fruit?

Fruiting of coconut palm occurs in January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December.

When does coconut palm flower?

Flowering of coconut palm occurs in January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December.

What stage and stratum does coconut palm occupy in a syntropic system?

In a syntropic system, coconut palm belongs to the secondary ii stage, occupying the emergent stratum.

Functions

🍎 Fruit Oil seed Fiber Fuelwood

Propagation

Seed

Citations

  1. Pasini, F. & Guimarães, L. (2017) — Tabela 3 (Incaper) , p. 116 (primary_stratum)
  2. Flora e Funga do Brasil — Cocos nucifera L. (naturalizada) (family, genus, scientific_author, biomes, flora_do_brasil, cultivation_notes)
  3. Plants of the World Online (Kew) — Cocos nucifera L. (powo_id)
  4. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Cocos nucifera L. (external_ids)
  5. Embrapa Tabuleiros Costeiros — cultivo do coqueiro (solo, pH, espaçamento) (ph_min, ph_max, spacing_min_m, spacing_max_m, soil_texture_preference, root_system, root_depth)

External references

Continue exploring

Related plants