Fauna
Plant

Coconut Palm

Cocos nucifera

Also known as Coconut Tree, Coco Palm

Coconut palms thrive on sandy tropical shores, relying on buoyant, salt-resistant fruit that can drift thousands of miles across oceans to colonize distant coastlines. Feathery fronds extend in graceful crowns above slanting, flexible trunks designed to bend with tropical storm winds rather than snap. These iconic trees play a vital ecological role in coastal erosion control while providing shade and nesting sites for littoral wildlife.

TreeTropicalCoastal
Coconut Palm reference1 / 7
(c) Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Douglas Goldman · cc-by-sa
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Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preyAutotrophic (Photosynthetic)
Predators
  • Coconut Crab
  • Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle
  • Black Rat
ThreatsLethal yellowing disease, extreme storm surges, coastal development
HabitatsCoastal beaches, tropical lowlands, coral atolls, littoral forests
Life span60–100 years
Classification
  1. OrderArecales
  2. FamilyArecaceae
  3. GenusCocos
  4. SpeciesCocos nucifera
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Wild fruits have toxic look-alikes; never eat based on app identification alone.
Responsible observation
  • Overhead Safety: Avoid standing or lingering directly beneath mature palms laden with heavy fruit.
  • Observing Seedlings: Look for young shoots sprouting directly from sea-cast husks along coastal beaches.
  • Crown Scanning: Check high frond axils for nesting birds and roosting arboreal reptiles.
Related species
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