No matter where you live, the coconut palm is likely to serve you in one way or another. Some islands depend on it for their basic needs (food, drink, shelter, clothing) and many other things. No wonder many people call it the tree of life.

But coconut products are also often useful in industrialized countries - in factories, cars, kitchens, bathrooms. They are used to make life safer and more fun.

In the tropics there are over ten million acres of coconut palms with around six hundred million trees. This does not apply to those grown in villages and elsewhere. When you consider that a tree typically produces between 50 and 100 nuts a year, an annual harvest of 30 billion would be a conservative estimate, or roughly nine coconuts for every human on earth per year!

The tree and its nut

A coconut palm usually starts producing around seven to eight years. However, it takes 10 to 15 years to reach full production. After that, it can produce up to 100 nuts a year for more than fifty years. Then it begins to fail and dies at the age of ninety.

The coconut palm needs a lot of water, sun and a temperature of at least 22 ° C almost all year round. When these conditions are met, it throws its infinite and elegantly curved upper body from forty to thirty meters. The is crowned with developing leaves, flowers, and nuts. The leaves can be six meters long. They have a strong central artery from which long leaflets grow, giving them the appearance of feathers.

Ripe nuts are large and have a soft, slightly colored shell.The ones we buy at home are a lot smaller, brown and rough in texture.

Real coconut has a thick protective cover. This is usually eliminated when they are exported. The mother itself has an average diameter of 15 to 25 centimeters.

It takes about a year for a nut to mature. However, a tree can have nuts at all stages of development at any time, from open flowers to ripe walnuts.

Although the coconut palm can grow inland, it has a remarkable affinity for the sea. The vast majority of them grow on islands, peninsulas and coasts. The islands of the Philippines and Indonesia are the main producers of coconuts, Fiji ranks 10th.

How does it serve you

How the coconut tree serves people is almost limitless. A delicious salad is prepared with/from its growing bud, located high in the tree’s top.This narrow bundle of cabbage-like leaves is about the size of a man's forearm. It can be called a "heart" because if it is cut or damaged, the whole tree dies. So a salad made from this is an expensive treat!

Giant palm leaves are used in different ways.One official said that a spacious apartment can be built with 100 of them. Thatched roofs, walls, partitions between rooms, windows and doors are made of leaves as well as baskets, carpets, fans, brooms and other elements used in the house. Even dresses, such as skirts and hats, are made of leaves. And they can be used as torches and firewood.

A fantastic drink is made from closed flower buds. When a piece of them is tightly bound, cut and folded into a container, they regularly drip sweet juice called a swirl, several liters a day. If the liquid ferments, an alcoholic beverage is created. Or it can be boiled to make a nice syrup for bread or pancakes. And if there are a few weeks left, it will be a good vinegar.

Unopened flowers are protected by a layer of hard, coarse fibers. It is an ideal material to use as a strainer or strainer. And it can also be done on shoes, hats or even some kind of helmet.

The chestnut reaches its maximum size in five to six months. It currently contains about two glasses of remarkably fresh, slightly aromatic and sweetening "water". What a refreshing drink! And this is good for anyone with vitamins, minerals and about two tablespoons of sugar per nut. It is so wonderfully clean and sterile that it has been used as a substitute for body fluids in humans and as a plasma volume expander.

When it matures, the white flesh of the walnut begins to form on the inside and solidifies when the walnut is ripe. It really is a tasty joy! After chopping and squeezing, it creates a thick white cream that is used to make fish, meat and vegetables more tasty. A valuable cooking oil, lamp fuel and lotions are also extracted from the pulp of walnuts.

The short, hard fibers on the shell are called coconut. The result is ropes, ropes, carpets, brooms, brushes and mattress covers. Coconut powder is transformed into humus for plants, which is also used to create wall panels.

The hard shell of the coconut helps in many ways. They are used to create vases, brooches, earrings, necklaces, lampshades, toys, porcelain and many other objects. A half bowl gives a satisfactory bowl or cup.

Coconut forests are very resistant to termites and are beautiful supports for houses. They also have sturdy seats for stadiums and decks in halls and canals. The log gives a dark, hard wood called "porcupine wood", which is useful for mounting cabinets.

The roots are also helpful. Part of the root can be used as a toothbrush. And the roots are sometimes used as a remedy for dysentery, tincture and mouthwash.

But you may be thinking, "I've never seen a real coconut tree. I can not see what I need." But it is likely, and not just grated, as an ingredient in well-eaten candies, cakes and pies.

Coconut meat is dried to produce what is called copra - millions of tons every year. Then copra turns into your wonderful oil, rich in glycerin and other complex things. This oil is found in car brake fluids, shampoos, lotions, lubricants, cleaning products, soaps, shaving creams, toothpaste, plastics, paints, ice cream, margarine, vegetable fats, yes in many things you will probably use and will eat.

The coconut tree is truly an amazing tree that will surely serve you wherever you live.