Jubaea

Wine Palm ( Jubaea chilensis )

The Wine Palm ( Jubaea chilensis ) is a native of Chile and there growing in Mediterranean climate palm. It is the only species of the genus Jubaea.

Description

The Wine Palm is a fiederblättrige ( pinnate ), monoecious getrenntgeschlechtige ( monoecious ) palm tree with a massive gray trunk that can reach in old specimens up to 1.5 m in diameter and 30 m height. She wears 4-5 m long leaves. The up to 1.5 m long inflorescences ( inflorescences ) bear unisexual flowers. This fruit is 3-4 cm wide, green and yellow when ripe stone fruits which contain a seed that looks like a small coconut, and its white, fleshy endosperm ( endosperm) of smell and taste also remind why they were in Chile coquitos (German Kokosnüsschen ) calls.

Use

The palm tree owes its name to the German sugary juice from which one produces palm sugar, palm honey and palm wine. For the extraction of the juice you need to chop down the palm, which is why it is endangered in their home in their inventory and is now protected. At the age of about 60 years, it begins to flower and bear fruit. The seeds of the fruit are used to make confectionery or snack.

Particularity

Jubaea is also planted in Europe, especially the Mediterranean in southern France and northern Italy ( in the Botanical Garden of Pisa are two imposing copies), but also in Brittany and southern England.

The honey palm requires less heat than many other frost-compatible palm trees, as the summers are not very hot in their homeland. In humid, tropical climate it grows, however, not so good. Due to their frost tolerance ( ausgepflanzte copies can without major damage temperatures down to -15 ° C survive ) and rarity of the Chilean Wine Palm therefore pleased, especially with collectors in temperate latitudes great popularity.

Synonym: Jubaea spectabilis Kunth.