Coconut palm

Coconut palms fringe the entire coast of Nauru – before the phosphate era, coconuts and fish were the islanders’ mainstay.

The coconut palm has a slender, often leaning trunk up to 30 m long and a crown of pinnate leaves, and its fruits ripen all year round. It tolerates salty air and sandy ground superbly, drawing fresh water from the ground just behind the beach. It provides coconut water, flesh, milk, oil and a sweet sap tapped from the cut flower clusters. The leaves are woven into mats and baskets, and the husk fibres are twisted into rope.

Significance in the country

On Nauru, where most food is now imported, coconut palms are a reminder of the traditional, self-sufficient way of life before the phosphate era. The sap from the flower clusters, drunk fresh or boiled down into syrup, was traditionally an important source of food during droughts.

Where it grows

Along the whole coastal strip encircling the island and around Buada Lagoon.

More: Wikipedia (en) Wikipedia (pl)