Skip to content
sintropia.club
PT EN

Plants

tucumã palm

Astrocaryum vulgare Mart.

Family: Arecaceae · Genus: Astrocaryum

Secondary II High No biomass production 🪓 Coppices after cutting
no rights reserved · CC0 · iNaturalist

Amazonian high-stratum spiny palm, listed by Embrapa among native fruit species for Amazonian SAFs. Orange fruits very rich in beta-carotene and oil (pulp and kernel) — staple of Pará cuisine (regional sandwich). Tolerates poor soils and fire well; resprouts from stump. Fruits annually after 5–7 years.

Götsch succession

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

Environment

Light requirement
Full sun
Water requirement
Moderate
Drought tolerance
Moderate
Waterlogging tolerance
Low
Soil pH range
4–8
Preferred soil texture
Sandy, Loamy
Hardiness zones
11–13

Morphology

Mature height
10–15 m
Recommended spacing
6–8 m
Root system
Fibrous
Root depth
Medium
Growth rate
Moderate
Lifespan
≥ 50 years
Time to first harvest
72 months
Productive lifespan
40 years

Biomes & climate

Köppen classes

Where it fits in a guild

Tucumã palm takes the High 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 High · ≈15 m Medium Low Ground cover

🪴 Cultivation

Optimal temperature range 20-28 °C (tolerates 18-30 °C); killed at 2 °C or below; occurs to ~150 m elevation. Prefers 1,300-1,800 mm/yr and dislikes dry roots. Seedlings need some shade, adults take full sun. Seeds germinate in 90-150 days after scarification and soaking. Regrows vigorously from roots after cutting or fire — can become a pasture weed.

📅 Phenology

Flowering months: May, June, July

Fruiting months: January, February, March

❓ Frequently asked questions

How long until the first harvest of tucumã palm?

The first harvest of tucumã palm comes around 72 months after planting.

What spacing is recommended for tucumã palm?

The recommended spacing for tucumã palm is 6–8 m.

How tall does tucumã palm grow?

At maturity, tucumã palm reaches 10–15 m tall.

When does tucumã palm fruit?

Fruiting of tucumã palm occurs in January, February, March.

When does tucumã palm flower?

Flowering of tucumã palm occurs in May, June, July.

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

In a syntropic system, tucumã palm belongs to the secondary ii stage, occupying the high stratum.

Functions

🍎 Fruit Oil seed Fiber

Propagation

Seed

Citations

  1. Marques, L. C. T. (2007) — Cultivo de Fruteiras em Sistemas Agroflorestais, Embrapa Amazônia Oriental , p. 20 (biomes, primary_stratum)
  2. Flora e Funga do Brasil — Astrocaryum vulgare Mart. (family, genus, scientific_author, biomes, flora_do_brasil)
  3. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Astrocaryum vulgare Mart. (external_ids, powo_id)
  4. Useful Tropical Plants — Astrocaryum vulgare (ph_min, ph_max, root_system, root_depth, soil_texture_preference, hardiness_zone_min, hardiness_zone_max, cultivation_notes, propagation, waterlogging_tolerance)
  5. Embrapa Amazônia Oriental — Fenologia da floração e da frutificação do tucumanzeiro (Astrocaryum vulgare), Belém/PA (phenology)

External references

Continue exploring

Related plants