Jubaea chilensis

Description

The magnificent Jubaea chilensis, or Chilean wine palm is the only existing species of genus Jubaea. This massive and beautiful palm tree is endemic to Chile, where it is now a protected species. The palm has the largest trunk of all palm tree species which will grow, although extremely slowly, to a thickness of up to 1.5 meters, or 4.5 feet. The entire trunk is filled with sugary sap, which has historically been used to produce "miel de palma". The sap is then boiled and fermented to produce wine. The only way to harvest this sap is to chop down the tree, and this led to extreme reduction of Jubaea chilensis population in the wild. The palm is also known for its fruit and seeds, or "coquito" nuts. These are similar to cocnuts, although much smaller - only up to 3 centimeters, or 1 inch, in diameter. Jubaea chilensis belongs to some of the hardiest pinnate palms and will survive temperatures as low as -15°C, or 5°F. This is probably due to the fact that Jubaeas grow up to around 1500 meters above sea level in their natural habitat. The palm does not tolerate high temperatures nor humidity well.

Classification

Subfamily

Arecoideae

Tribe

Cocoeae

Genus

Jubaea

Species

J. chilensis

Binomial name

Jubaea chilensis