Palm

Botanical Name

Cocos Nucifera

Other Common Names

Red Palm, Coconut Palm

Region

Through out the Tropics worldwide

The Tree

Cocos nucifera is a large palm, growing up to 100 ft tall, with pinnate leaves 13–20 ft long, and pinnae 2-3 ft long; old leaves break away cleanly, leaving the trunk smooth.

Appearance

Reddish brown fibers embedded in a lighter tan or light brown colored body. Fibers are more densely packed toward the outside of the tree trunk, becoming more and more sparse toward the center of the tree.

Properties

Red Palm has a medium to fine texture, though it is by no means even or uniform on account of the contrast between the dense, darker fibers, and the soft, lighter cellulose structure of the wood. Grain is very straight, and contains no growth rings, knots, or defects. Palm woods have no growth rings, and as a result, the shrinkage rate for drying the wood is more or less uniform between the radial and tangential surfaces.

Working Properties

Tends to be quite difficult to work with both machine and hand tools. The hard fibers contrast with the soft body of the wood, and can be brittle and splinter or pull out.

Uses

Flooring, knife and tool handles, carvings, furniture, and turned objects.

Availability

Prices for most sizes of Red Palm should be in the moderate range for an imported tropical wood. Nearly every part of the tree is said to have a use or value, and older trees are typically only harvested for wood after they have passed their time of fruit-bearing—usually after 50-70 years.