Edible palm fruits. What grows on a palm tree

How bananas grow
Bananas are native to the tropics South East Asia. As a food, bananas are cultivated in the tropics. At temperatures below 16 C, growth slows down significantly, and at 10 C it stops altogether.
Contrary to popular belief, bananas do not grow on palm trees. The banana plant is a 5 meter tall herb similar to a palm tree. With a thick, up to 20 centimeters grassy trunk.

In Russia, bananas grow in the vicinity of Sochi, but the fruits do not ripen to the point of being suitable for food.

How olives grow
Olives are the fruits of a cultivated species of olive tree - Olive europaea. This is an evergreen sub tropical tree 4-5 (10-12) meters high. (Photo by Francesco Quarto):

According to international terminology, there are black olives - ripe fruits olive tree and green olives are the unripe fruits of the olive tree. In Russia, green fruits (unripe) are called olives; black olives are called olives (ripe). This division exists only in Russia.

How does avocado grow?
The English name for the avocado tree and its fruits is alligator pear. Avocado - fast growing tree, reaching a height of 18 meters. The trunk is usually straight and highly branched.

Avocado is an oval or spherical fruit, often similar to a pear, 5–20 cm long, weighing 0.05–1.8 kg.

Where does durian grow?
Durian is a tropical tree of the Malvaceae family, the fruit of which is a fruit famous for both its taste and smell. Durian is native to Southeast Asia.

Durian grows on tall trees up to 45 meters high.

These are big fruits. They weigh more than 5 kg and have a very hard shell covered with spines. To understand the scale of durian. (Photo Herald)

How do watermelons grow?
Watermelon is a plant of the pumpkin family. The watermelon is native to South Africa, where it is still found in the wild. Watermelon was often placed in the tombs of pharaohs as a source of food in their afterlife. IN Western Europe Watermelons were introduced during the era of the Crusades.
Watermelons grow almost like cucumbers. The fields are called melon fields, in which long vines stretch along the ground. Watermelons are formed on them:

Interesting fact: The world record for the weight of watermelons is approximately 119 kilograms. (Photo by Kderty):

How mango grows
Mango is a genus of tropical plants and the name of a fruit with a sweet taste and fibrous structure. This plant is one of national symbols in India and Pakistan.

Evergreen mango tree has a height of 10-45 meters; the crown of the tree reaches a radius of 10 meters. Blooming mango tree:

Ripe fruits hang on long stems and weigh up to 2 kg.

Where do dates grow?
As you might guess, dates grow on the date palm. Since ancient times, dates have been used by humans as a highly valuable food product. They are usually sold as dried fruits.

The date palm was grown as early as the 4th century BC. in Mesopotamia, on the territory of which modern Iraq is located. Date palm brings high yields for 60-80 years.

How does papaya grow?
Papaya is native to southern Mexico, Central America and northern South America, but it is now grown in all tropical countries.

Papaya, or melon tree, is a low, slender tree with a thin, branchless trunk 5–10 meters high. The flowers develop in the axils of the leaves, turning into large fruits, 10–30 cm in diameter and 15–45 cm in length.

How does a plum grow?
In total, several hundred species of plum are known, distributed mainly in the northern temperate regions. globe.

The plum tree usually reaches a height of up to 6 meters:

Blooming plum tree:

How does grapefruit grow?
Grapefruit - subtropical evergreen tree kind of citrus. The botanist-priest Griffiths Hughes was the first to tell the world about grapefruit in 1750. (Photo by CLHyke):

The name is derived from English. grape (grapes) and fruit (fruit), since grapefruit fruits are often collected in clusters, thereby resembling bunches of grapes.

The evergreen tree is usually about 5-6 m in height, but there have been cases when the height of the tree reached 13-15 m. The fruits reach a diameter of 10-15 cm. Average term The time it takes for fruits to ripen is approximately 9-12 months. (Photo by Sarah Biggart):

Where does pomegranate grow?
Pomegranate is a genus of shrubs and small trees with thorny branches, reaching a height of 5-6 meters.

50-60 kg of fruits are usually collected from one tree. The tree lives about 100 years.

Pomegranate comes from Persia, and its name translated from Latin means “grainy”, “faceted”. According to ancient legend There are exactly the same number of seeds in a pomegranate as there are days in a year. But in fact, a pomegranate can contain more than a thousand grains.

Where the coconut grows
The scientific name of the genus comes from the Portuguese word coco ("monkey") and is given because of the spots on the nut that make it look like a monkey's face. Motherland coconut tree unknown for sure - presumably it comes from Southeast Asia (Malaysia). It is now ubiquitous in the tropics of both hemispheres.

Its trunk tends upward, and evergreen crown like fireworks. Traditionally, the beautiful palm tree is the tree of winners, the personification of delight and rejoicing. But not only. It symbolizes prosperity and longevity, because it bears fruit throughout life. Of the things that grow on a palm tree, the most famous are coconuts and dates, and the story will begin with them.

Palm trees are fruit bearing

For residents of the tropics, a palm tree is about the same as wheat for us. The palm tree will feed you where nothing grows except it. She will also give you the juice of her fruits, and excellent dishes will come out of their shell. In some regions, people can live only thanks to these noble plants.

Coconut palm (Cocos nucifera)

This palm abounds in the tropics, especially sea coasts. Its fruits, coconuts, are protected by a thick, rough skin, and their weight can reach 2.5 kg. Coconut milk contains many vitamins and is good at replenishing the lack of moisture in the body. Not everyone will like the pulp, but it is edible. It is quite difficult to get nuts: they grow at the top, it is difficult to knock them down, you have to climb to a height of thirty meters. Crack the nut with a stone on a hard surface. The fruits of the coconut palm are carried by sea currents for thousands of miles; This is how the plant colonized many Pacific islands. It appears on the coat of arms of the Maldives.

Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera)

It grows in arid regions, tropics and subtropics, where it is often the only plant with edible fruits. On plantations, low-growing forms are grown, from which it is convenient to harvest. Wild dates are small in size, but cultivated varieties reach 8 cm in length. Tasty and healthy, contain a large range of vitamins and minerals. The length of the date bunch reaches almost a meter. To the average person, dates are all almost the same, but experts distinguish more than five hundred varieties.

And that’s all – dates...

The date palm, without exaggeration, stood at the cradle of civilization. In the ruins of the palace of Herod the Great, archaeologists found a pot of dates that were more than two thousand years old. Scientists took the risk of planting several seeds, one of them sprouted; Now the palm tree “named” Methuselah reaches two meters in height and looks excellent.

Seychelles palm (Lodoicea maldivica)

The fruits of this palm are huge, each weighing 13-18 kg. There can be 70 or more of them on a tree. The diameter of such a giant reaches a meter, and it matures within 6 years. The nut is eaten unripe, when it reaches maximum size, and this happens in about a year. Its pulp is jelly-like, transparent and almost tasteless, but in the Seychelles it is considered a delicacy.

Because of his unusual looking and size in the old days such nuts were endowed with magic, mystical properties, they were credited with healing powers. Only influential people could own them; ordinary people were prohibited from doing so. They paid fabulous amounts of money for the fruits; some monarchs were ready to give a ship completely loaded with grain and textiles for one nut.

Peach palm (Guilielma gasipaes)

This palm tree, 18 meters high, has a trunk densely planted with sharp spines the length of a palm; covered with the same needles large leaves. Not every animal can overcome such protection, so the harvest on the palm tree ripens quietly. Oval in shape, about the size of a peach, its fruits form huge clusters that hang down like grapes and range in color from yellow-orange to red. They taste like chestnuts, with a high starch content. To get a hearty dish, the fruits must be boiled in salt water for a long time.

Ginger palm (Hyphaene thebaica)

Not a single palm tree on Earth is capable of branching. Except this one. On its 10-meter-high trunk there are 3-4 or more branches, which end in a lush plume of leaves. The leaves are fan-shaped, and flowers, male or female, are formed between them. Mature clusters contain 200 or more bright shiny fruits. The Egyptians call this tree the "dum palm." The poorest segments of the population eat the fibrous husk of its fruit and believe that it tastes like dried ginger bread.

Areca palm (Areca catechu L.)

One of the most beautiful palm trees. It grows up to 30 meters and lives up to 100 years. The areca palm is also called betel nut; its seeds are used as the main component of betel gum.

This chewing gum has an anthelmintic, tonic, mild narcotic effect and, as the indigenous people claim, is harmless. But doctors consider betel or pan to be the main cause of oral cancer in the peoples of Thailand, India, Myanmar and other countries in this region. The mouth of a betel chewer resembles that of a vampire because the areca nut contains a bright red pigment.

Palmyra palm (Borassus flabellifer)

Cambodians call this palm their national tree. The tree grows very slowly in the first years of its life, but over time it gains speed and reaches a height of about 30 meters.

The fruits of the plant slightly resemble coconuts; the pulp is eaten in fresh, and palm sugar is made from the sweet juice. Juice is also taken from the trunk. In the old days, paper was made from leaves - one sheet was enough for 4 pages. Fibers were removed from the central core of the sheet and put on ropes, and the dried sharp cores were used to create an impenetrable fence. Truly a versatile plant!

Peduncle palms

Most palm trees bloom the same way, their inflorescences are racemose. The difference mainly lies in the size, flowering time and location of the buds. But there is one palm tree that needs to be talked about separately; it simply cannot be ignored.

Corypha umbraculifera palm

The Tallipot palm (the second name of the plant) is the national tree of Sri Lanka; it grows only on the island of Ceylon. It is considered an unsurpassed record holder for the size and bulkiness of the inflorescence, as well as for the number of flowers in it.

Tallipota blooms only once in its life. Having lived from 40 to 80 years, it produces a huge plume at the top, containing hundreds of thousands of flowers. A fully blossomed inflorescence reaches a height of 14 meters and a width of 12. The flowers have the smell of sour milk and attract a huge number of bats. These same animals subsequently eat juicy, fleshy fruits with pleasure. Corypha seeds are considered a talisman and are used to make beautiful rosaries and bracelets.

When flowering and fruiting ends, the huge white-trunked palm tree collapses as if it had been cut down.

And there is one more tree I would not like to ignore.

Caryota mitis palm

Caryota leaves are rich in oxalic acid, which is a skin irritant. It is also called wine for the peculiar taste of the fruit pulp. The wine palm has leaves of a characteristic shape: they resemble fish tail. It cannot boast of height, it grows only up to 3 meters, but the caryota has another feature. It is considered the longest flowering palm tree in the world. It lives only 20 years and blooms at the end of its life, but flowering continues for several years without interruption. When the last fruits ripen, the karyote dies.

Numerous and varied

The palm family (aka arecaceae) includes almost three and a half thousand species, and there are 185 genera in it. There are giant ceroxylon, creeping rattan, oil and sago palms. On each of them you can find something worthy of attention, be it fruits, flowers or even leaves (in raffia they reach 25 meters in length). And for the fruits of the Nipa palm you will have to... swim: this plant lives in mangroves, “knee-deep” in water.

The world of palm trees is unusually rich, and we were able to pay our attention to only some of them, in our opinion, the most interesting.

About palm trees - in one line

• The smallest palm tree does not grow higher than 10 cm, the tallest reaches 60 m.
• The palm thief crab, in order to split a coconut, climbs up a tree with a nut and throws it down on the stones.
• In the Nile Valley, a “palm” calendar still exists: the date palm there produces exactly one leaf per month.

This is how dates grow
Palma dum - the “bread” of the poor
Betel palms and betel bunch Blooming corypha in all its glory

How bananas grow

Bananas are native to the tropics of Southeast Asia. As a food, bananas are cultivated in the tropics. At temperatures below 16 C, growth slows down significantly, and at 10 C it stops altogether.Contrary to popular belief, bananas do not grow on palm trees. The banana plant is a 5 meter tall herb similar to a palm tree. With a thick, up to 20 centimeters grassy trunk.

In Russia, bananas grow in the vicinity of Sochi, but the fruits do not ripen to the point of being suitable for food.

How olives grow

Olives are the fruits of a cultivated species of olive tree - Olive europaea. This is an evergreen subtropical tree 4-5 (10-12) meters high. (Photo by Francesco Quarto):

According to international terminology, there are black olives - the ripe fruits of the olive tree and green olives - the unripe fruits of the olive tree. In Russia, green fruits (unripe) are called olives; black olives are called olives (ripe). This division exists only in Russia.

How does avocado grow?

The English name for the avocado tree and the fruits of the same name is alligator pear. Avocado is a fast-growing tree, reaching a height of 18 meters. The trunk is usually straight and highly branched.

Avocados are grown in many tropical and subtropical areas ( USA Brazil Africa Israel ). Harvest: 150-200 kg of fruit per tree. There are over 400 varieties of avocados. In Europe, avocados can be bought throughout the year.

Avocado is an oval or spherical fruit, often similar to a pear, 5-20 cm long, weighing 0.05-1.8 kg.

Where does durian grow?

Durian is a tropical tree of the Malvaceae family, the fruit of which is a fruit famous for both its taste and smell. Durian is native to Southeast Asia.

Durian grows on tall trees up to 45 meters high.

These are big fruits. They weigh more than 5 kg and have a very hard shell covered with spines. To understand the scale of durian. (Photo Herald)

How do watermelons grow?

Watermelon is a plant of the pumpkin family. The watermelon is native to South Africa, where it is still found in the wild. Watermelon was often placed in the tombs of pharaohs as a source of food in their afterlife. Watermelons were brought to Western Europe during the era of the Crusades.

Watermelons grow almost like cucumbers. The fields are called melon fields, in which long vines stretch along the ground. Watermelons are formed on them:

Interesting fact: the world record for the weight of watermelons is approximately 119 kilograms. (Photo by Kderty):

Melon

Melon was grown in ancient Egypt. In Europe, it originated from Asia Minor and spread to the continent already in the 18th century. Although the birthplace of melon is considered middle Asia and Asia Minor.

In the south of Russia it can be grown on a personal plot

How mango grows

Mango is a genus of tropical plants and the name of a fruit with a sweet taste and fibrous structure. This plant is one of the national symbols in India and Pakistan.

The evergreen mango tree has a height of 10-45 meters; the crown of the tree reaches a radius of 10 meters. Blooming mango tree:

Ripe fruits hang on long stems and weigh up to 2 kg.

Where do dates grow?

As you might guess, dates grow on the date palm. Since ancient times, dates have been used by humans as a highly valuable food product. They are usually sold as dried fruits.

The date palm was grown as early as the 4th century BC. in Mesopotamia, on the territory of which modern Iraq is located. The date palm produces high yields for 60-80 years.

How does papaya grow?

Papaya is native to southern Mexico, Central America and northern South America, but it is now grown in all tropical countries.

Papaya, or melon tree, is a low, slender tree with a thin, branchless trunk 5-10 meters high. The flowers develop in the axils of the leaves, turning into large fruits, 10-30 cm in diameter and 15-45 cm in length.

How does a plum grow?

In total, several hundred species of plum are known, distributed mainly in the northern temperate regions of the globe.

The plum tree usually grows up to 6 meters in height:

Blooming plum tree:

How does grapefruit grow?

Grapefruit is a subtropical evergreen tree of the citrus genus. The botanist-priest Griffiths Hughes was the first to tell the world about grapefruit in 1750. (Photo by CLHyke):

Today, grapefruit is grown in almost all subtropical countries of the world. USA are largest producer fruit, the main plantations are located in Florida, Texas. The main producers for Europe are Israel Cyprus.

The name is derived from English. grape (grapes) and fruit (fruit), since grapefruit fruits are often collected in clusters, thereby resembling bunches of grapes.

An evergreen tree is usually about 5-6 m in height, but there have been cases when the height of the tree reached 13-15 m. The fruits reach a diameter of 10-15 cm. The average time for the fruits to ripen is approximately 9-12 months. (Photo by Sarah Biggart):

Where does pomegranate grow?

Pomegranate is a genus of shrubs and small trees with thorny branches, reaching a height of 5-6 meters.

50-60 kg of fruits are usually collected from one tree. The tree lives for about 100 years.

Pomegranate comes from Persia, and its name translated from Latin means “grainy”, “faceted”. According to ancient legend, a pomegranate contains exactly the same number of seeds as there are days in a year. But in fact, a pomegranate can contain more than a thousand grains.

Where the coconut grows

The scientific name of the genus comes from the Portuguese word coco ("monkey") and is given because of the spots on the nut that make it look like a monkey's face. The origin of the coconut palm is unknown; it is believed to be native to Southeast Asia (Malaysia). It is now ubiquitous in the tropics of both hemispheres.

Coconut palm - tall tree(up to 27-30 meters). The trunk is 15-45 cm in diameter, the leaves are 3-6 meters long:

Coconuts grow in groups of 15-20, fully ripening within 8-10 months.

How do pineapples grow?

Pineapples grow in tropical South America and south to Argentina and Paraguay. Pineapple is a terrestrial plant with prickly stem and leaves.

In orderly rows. Pineapple plantation. (Photo by Estevam Cesar):

Picking pineapples. (Photo by Rahmat Hussain):

Pineapples weigh from 2 to 15 kg and look like a large cone:

How do oranges grow?

Oranges grow on orange trees height from 4-6 to 12 meters.

The orange is native to Southeast Asia. European travelers brought the orange to Europe in the 15th century.

In Argentina, even a special aircraft was developed for transporting oranges (FMA I.Ae. 38 Naranjero). Its name (Spanish: Naranjero) translates as “Orange” or “Orange Merchant”.

Tangerines tangerines.

Native to southern China and Cochin China. Introduced to Europe early XIX century. Widely cultivated in Spain, Algeria (throughout the southern and western Mediterranean) and even southern France, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Japan, Morocco, China, and the countries of Indochina. Supplies of tangerines to Russia from Argentina appeared.

Such a miracle as the tangerine needs no introduction.

How persimmon grows

Persimmon (from Latin Diospyros) belongs to the genus of subtropical deciduous trees Ebony family. Persimmon may also be called wild date or date plum. There are more than 200 species of this plant and the fruits of most of them are quite edible, they are large orange fleshy berries with 2-10 seeds. (With)

The birthplace of this plant is China. Persimmon became widespread in Japan. The most popular varieties of persimmon are: “Korolek”, oriental (D. Kaki), ordinary, Caucasian (D. lotus), Virginia (D. Virginia).

What is feijoa?

The name of the genus is given in honor of the Brazilian botanist Silva Feijo. It includes 6 species that naturally grow in South America.

In a culture like open ground in the subtropics and in closed ground only one species is widespread feijoa, or acca Feijoa, or acca Soplova, from the myrtle family.

It was first introduced into culture relatively recently. It has been known on the European continent in France since the 19th century. Now cultivated in many subtropical countries, especially in the USA and the Mediterranean. In our countries feijoa appeared in 1904, mainly cultivated in Azerbaijan, less so in Crimea. Grows well, blooms and bears fruit indoors.

Pomello, what kind of animal is this?

POMELLO ( Citrus grandis) or pompelmus, sheddock or sum-o - in terms of large-fruitedness it ranks second among citrus fruits after citron. Pompelmus fruits can be the size of a small watermelon; their length is 15-18 cm, diameter 10-18 to 25 cm. The shape of the fruit varies from round to pear-shaped, and the color of the peel - from greenish-yellow to bright yellow; the pulp is greenish, yellowish, pink or reddish, with a characteristic aroma and wine-sour-sweet taste, almost or completely devoid of bitterness.

Pompelmus is grown mainly in South, Southeast and partly East Asia, where it is one of the most important citrus crops. Unknown in the wild

Where the lime grows

The Malacca Peninsula is considered the birthplace of lime. For the first time, the industrial culture of lime arose in the 70s of the 19th century on the island. Montserrat (from the Lesser Antilles). Millions of lime trees are cultivated in India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Myanmar, Brazil, Venezuela, and West African countries

On our shelves we often find small, green fruits very similar to lemons, which are called limes. Lime tastes similar to lemon, but it is smaller. The fruit is covered with a thinner skin that does not have such strong aroma like a lemon. Lime is very juicy and has no seeds.

Kumquats are cultivated in China, Southeast Asia, Japan, the Middle East, Southern Europe (especially the Greek island of Corfu) and the southern United States (especially Florida).

Fig, aka fig tree)))

It grows wild as undergrowth in deciduous forests and on open slopes, in the mountainous regions of Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, on the southern coast of Crimea, and is found in the North Caucasus

Figs (wine berry, fig tree, fig, fig tree) - a subtropical tree from the mulberry family up to 12 m in height. The crown is spreading and wide. The trunk bark is dark gray. The leaves are large, alternate, on long petioles, palmate-lobed, rough, dark green on top and light, pubescent on the lower side. Leaves and stems contain milky sap

Figs are consumed fresh, dried and canned. Jam and jam are made from fresh fruits

Quince, hard fruit, pleasant color, sweet and sour taste.

Quince is a large yellow fruit with dense pulp covered with a hard skin. Quince is very aromatic and has a sweet-tart taste. Blooming quince is very beautiful plant, so it is often planted in decorative purposes for decorating parks and squares.

The homeland of quince is Transcaucasia. Wild quince can still be found there. Locals call it "heiva". Cultivars People developed quinces a long time ago - more than four thousand years ago
.

Cultivated in many areas of Europe (as far as Scotland and Norway, 63°50’N), North and South Africa, North and South America, Australia and Oceania.

Qiwi is not only a payment service!

The kiwi plant got its name from the similarity of the shape of its pubescent fruit with the body of the bird of the same name.

Peach palm (lat. Bactris gasipaes) – fruit crop, representing the Palm family.

Description

The peach palm is a slender and fairly tall tree, the height of which ranges from twenty to thirty meters. At the top, its mighty trunks (however, sometimes along the entire length) are covered by impressive rings of black, needle-shaped spines, the length of which can reach twelve centimeters. Such thorns make it very difficult to collect fruits.

The leaves of this crop are very long - their length can reach from 2.4 to 3.6 meters. All of them are lanceolate and pinnately complex, boasting a rich dark green color and rather spiny edges. However, the petioles are also densely strewn with numerous spines.

Small yellowish-whitish flowers form inflorescences up to thirty centimeters long. All inflorescences are located directly under the tree crowns, while the same raceme contains both female and male flowers.

The fruits, hanging in clusters of up to a hundred pieces each, can be either red, orange or yellow. And their shape can be conical, cup-shaped or oval. Each fruit has six vaguely defined edges and reaches six centimeters in length. Under the thin skin of the fruit there is a sweet yellowish-orange pulp, and in the center of this pulp there is a single stone of very impressive size.

The peach palm begins to produce a harvest already in the third or fourth year of its life.

Where does it grow?

This variety of palm is native to the Ecuadorian, Colombian, Peruvian and Brazilian jungles. Since ancient times, the peach palm has been actively grown and no less actively distributed by numerous Indian tribes throughout the Amazon, but the highest economic importance This culture was received only in Costa Rica. In the last few decades, this crop began to be grown in some Central American countries - in Panama and Nicaragua, as well as in Honduras and Guatemala. In addition, such a palm can be found in the Antilles, as well as in the northern regions of South America. Back in 1924, the first such plantings appeared in the Philippines, and by 1970 it amazing plant reached India.

In fact, this palm tree is capable of growing in any area characterized by a hot and fairly humid tropical climate. This culture can reproduce both through seeds and vegetatively; it is completely undemanding to soils.

Application

Fresh fruits peach palm It is not customary to eat. True, it is fresh fruits that parrots really love. various types, but as the luxurious tropical forests located in the Amazon basin are cut down, the number of these beautiful birds is gradually declining. And before eating, people boil these fruits for two or three hours in salted water, often adding cream or vegetable oil. Before putting them to boil, the skin of each fruit should be slightly cut. And they should be eaten while still warm.

Most often, these fruits are used as a side dish for a wide variety of fatty dishes, or they are simply eaten with various gravies - the fact is that even boiled pulp is always a little dry.

Sometimes the pulp of these fruits is added to baked goods; in addition, a strong and very rich alcoholic drink is obtained from it. And gourmets willingly eat the kernels of the seeds, which taste like coconut.

If the fruits were collected carefully and do not have dents, then they can easily be stored in the usual room conditions during the week.

Soft cores are no less actively used. upper parts trunks - they are eaten raw or various dishes are prepared from them. Quite often they are used for preservation. By the way, the taste of fresh hearts is very similar to the taste of celery stalks.

The wood of such a palm tree is an excellent building material, and local tribes use the leaves to construct roofs for their huts. A decoction is also prepared from the leaves, often used by Indians for headaches or abdominal pain.

Contraindications

Due to individual intolerance, allergic reactions cannot be completely ruled out.

(lat. Bactris gasipae) is fruit tree, which belongs to the Palm family.

Distribution of the peach palm

The plant is native to the jungles of Brazil, Peru, Colombia and Ecuador. Since ancient times, the palm tree has been cultivated and distributed by Indian tribes throughout the Amazon, gaining its greatest economic importance in Costa Rica. In recent decades, the peach palm has been grown in Central American countries (in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, in the very north of South America, as well as in the Antilles. In the Philippines, the first palm plantings appeared in 1924, and in India in the 1970s .

In principle, the peach palm can grow in any country with a humid and hot tropical climate. It is found at altitudes up to 1200 meters above sea level. Very undemanding to soil. It reproduces both vegetatively and by seeds.

Biological description of the peach palm

The peach palm tree is tall and slender, reaching a height of 20-30 meters. Its entire length or only its upper part is surrounded by rings of long (up to 12 centimeters) black needle-shaped spines. By the way, they make it very difficult to harvest from trees.

The leaves of the plant are quite long (from 2.4 to 3.6 meters). They are pinnately complex in structure, have lanceolate, dark green leaves with spiny edges. The petioles are also dotted with spines.

The flowers are yellowish-white, small. Men's and female flowers mixed in brushes, located under the very crown of the palm tree. The length of the inflorescences reaches 30 centimeters.

Description of peach palm fruits

The fruits are yellow, orange or red in color and hang in clusters of up to 100 pieces. They can be various shapes(oval, cupped or conical), up to 6 centimeters long, have six weakly defined edges. The harvest begins to produce already 3-4 years after germination from the seed.

The skin of the fruit is thin, underneath it there is a sweet yellow-orange pulp that tastes sweet. There is one large seed inside the fruit.

Beneficial properties of peach palm fruits

The fruits contain a lot of vitamins A and , starch and vegetable fats.

The fruits are not eaten fresh. True connoisseurs of fresh fruits are different kinds parrots, whose numbers are declining as tropical forests in the Amazon basin are cut down. For human consumption, they are boiled in salted water for 2-3 hours, usually with the addition of vegetable or butter. But first, the peel of the fruit is cut. Eat boiled fruits while they are still hot. The fruits are usually eaten as a side dish for fatty dishes or separately with some kind of gravy, since even the boiled pulp is a bit dry. Sometimes the pulp of the fruit is added to baked goods, and is also used to prepare strong alcoholic drink, which is obtained by distilling the mash obtained from the fermentation of fruits.

Gourmets also eat the kernels, which taste somewhat like coconut.

Carefully collected fruits (without dents) can be stored at room conditions for a week.

Other uses of peach palm

The soft core from the upper part of the palm tree trunk (palmetto) is also used, which can be eaten raw or used for preservation and preparation of a wide variety of dishes. The taste of the fresh core is somewhat reminiscent of the taste of celery stalks.

Peach palm wood - excellent construction material. The leaves of local tribes are used to make roofs for huts. The leaves can also be used to prepare a decoction that Indians drink for stomach aches and headaches.

Contraindications to consumption of peach palm fruits

Allergic reactions are possible due to individual intolerance.