How Does a Coconut Grow?

Bounty of Coconut Palms

Coconuts are produced by coconut palm trees, which are regarded as one of the most useful types of trees. Almost every part of a coconut palm can be used for culinary, decorative or other purposes, which explains why they are grown throughout the tropics.

Botanically speaking, a coconut is classified as a fibrous drupe. Relying on cross pollination, a healthy coconut palm will produce 50 coconuts annually. Weighing around 6 pounds, each coconut takes a year to fully mature. Every coconut is made up of a smooth outer rind, a thick husk, and a hard inner shell pitted with three germination pores, a layer of dense white meat and a center with liquid "coconut milk."

Coconut palms thrive in sandy soils and need sunlight, regular rain and high humidity. Coconut palms can tolerate salinity but not freezing temperatures. The trees start bearing coconuts by the time they are seven or eight years old. Coconut palms may reach heights of 50 to 80 feet with a life span of 80 years.

To germinate your own coconut palm, select a coconut that still has fluid inside it. Leave the husk on and soak the coconut in water for two or three days. Then plant the pointed end of the coconut in a container that is at least 10 inches deep with a well-drained potting soil mix. Only a third of the coconut should be exposed above the soil. Place the container in a warm location and water regularly. In five or six months, the first shoot should appear. The new coconut tree should grow to a height of about 5 feet within about five years, at which time it can be replanted in a larger container or placed outdoors in the climate permits.

The white portion of the coconut can be eaten and it also contains coconut oil, for which there are numerous uses including soap products. The hairy husk can be made into or rope or twine or serve as fuel for cooking. The coconut shell may serve as a bowl or cup. Fronds from coconut palm trees often are woven into baskets, belts, brooms, chairs and fans. Trees that no longer produce coconuts can be cut down, creating wood for furniture.