SCIENTIFIC NAME: Borassus flabellifer

COMMON NAME(S): Palmyra palm, Lontar palm
SUB FAMILY: Coryphoideae
TRIBE: Borasseae
ORIGIN: India, but widely distributed throughout tropical Asia
HARDINESS ZONES: 10B-11 (no problem at 26 degrees F)
TYPICAL MAXIMUM HEIGHT: 50-70'
GROWTH RATE: Slow
HABIT: Solitary, massive; canopy of 2-3 dozen or more leaves
SALT TOLERANCE: Moderate
DROUGHT TOLERANCE: High
SOIL REQUIREMENTS: Widely adaptable
LIGHT REQUIREMENTS: High
NUTRITION REQUIREMENTS: Low
POPULAR USES: Specimen tree; edible fruit
HUMAN HAZARDS: Spiny
POPULAR OR RECOMMENDED CULTIVARS: Though regional varieties exist, few if any have been formally recognized. Interestingly, some authorities consider the other 4-6 species of Borassus to be variants of the palmyra palm.

COMMENTS: This magnificent fan palm has been cultivated by humans for millenia, and rivals the coconut in importance to some local economies in Asia. Some biblical scholars have even suggested that the 'apple' of which Adam and Eve partook in Eden was probably the fruit of the palmyra palm. Virtually every part of the palmyra palm has found a use, from the large, sturdy leaves as thatch, to the sweet-tasting fruit, eaten raw or cooked. The large inflorescences are tapped for their copious juice which is then condensed into palm sugar or fermented into alcoholic toddy. In the wild, palmyras can form large populations, and occur in hot, monsoon regions. They are equally at home in forested and open habitats. The distribution of this species has no doubt been heavily influenced by mankind. Germinating seedlings descend for many feet below ground before any growth emerges above the surface. The palmyra thrives in any moist, warm, tropical climate, though its ultimate size and spread limits its landscape utility.