The honey palm owes its name to the sweet sap used to extract palm honey. The seeds of the palm are called coquito and are also edible. In Germany, the honey palm is kept as an ornamental plant in the conservatory or outdoors.

Where does the honey palm come from?

The tree is native to Chile and reaches considerable proportions in the Mediterranean climate. The botanical name is Jubaea chilensis.

The honey palm in numbers:

  • Trunk height up to 30 meters
  • Trunk diameter 1.5 meters for very old trees
  • Feathery leaves up to 5 meters long
  • Inflorescences up to 1.5 meters long
  • Age up to 100 years

The typical bare trunk only forms after 15 years.

Can the honey palm be kept outdoors?

You can plant honey palms outdoors, but not before the plant is at least five years old. Then it can also cope well with slightly below zero temperatures. Fruit will only develop in very mild climates.

What distance should you keep from other plants?

Honey palms grow slowly in the first few years. Nevertheless, the planting distance to other plants should be at least 1.50 meters.

In which location does the palm tree thrive?

Like all palms, honey palms thrive best in a very sunny, sheltered spot.

Which soil substrate does the honey palm tree prefer?

Normal garden soil mixed with some sand or gravel is sufficient.

For keeping as a houseplant, choose a deep bucket that you fill with cactus soil or special palm soil.

Is the honey palm hardy?

Honey palms are conditionally hardy. They even tolerate temperatures down to minus 15 degrees for a short time. Nevertheless, you should provide winter protection, especially if the palm is in a somewhat draughty place. Cover the ground with a mulch or fleece material and encase the leaves as a precaution.

How is the honey palm propagated?

Propagation is by the seed called the coquito. Translated, this means "little coconut", because the taste is similar to that of coconut.

Can the palm tree be transplanted?

Older specimens in the field should not be transplanted if possible, unless they are in a very unfavorable place. For this, the long taproot must be completely excavated. Unfortunately, most older honey palms do not survive transplanting.

Honey palms planted in pots must be replanted every few years, whenever the pot is too small and the roots are sticking out of the ground.

In the first few years, transplanting is rarely necessary because of its slow growth.

What should be considered when keeping it as a container plant?

The honey palm can spend the summer on the sunny terrace. In winter it prefers a cool, not too bright location in a frost-free room.

Water the plant sparingly in winter so that the ball does not dry out completely.

tips and tricks

Some very old and large specimens of the honey palm can be admired on the French Atlantic coast, in Switzerland and even in Great Britain.

Category:

Vegetable garden