Chilean Wine Palm, Honey Palm, Coquito Palm

The palm is native to coastal valleys in Chile that do not experience extremes of both heat or cold. It is now grown worldwide in Mediterranean type climates, including California. It is the most southerly representative of the palm family in South America. Because of extensive sap collection from them, which ultimately kills the tree, the palms have become threatened in the wild with very few stands remaining. The species is now protected by law in Chile.

Chilean wine palms are intolerant of hot, humid tropical or subtropical climates and do not thrive in such places as Florida. They grow well in many parts of California and are hardy to about 20° F (USDA Zones 9-10A). Because of their slow growth habit, Jubaeas can be grown for some time as a container specimen.

The slow-growing trees can reach a height of 50-80 feet. Thick, 4-6 foot diameter trunks are dark gray and conspicuously marked with raised, diamond-shaped leaf scars. The elegant, feathery palms are attractive as specimen trees or in avenue plantings.

The stiff, spreading, 6-12 foot, pinnately compound leaves are dull green above and gray below. The 2 foot long, 1 inch wide leaflets tend to split at their ends. The trees are essentially self-cleaning, neatly dropping their older leaves.

Sprays of tiny purple flowers are borne on once-branched, 4 foot long inflorescence bearing triads of one female and two male flowers. Pollination is by wind and various insects.

The 2 inch, oval, egg-yellow, edible fruits hang down in bunches and are fleshy and sweet. Each contains a single hard, smooth-shelled nut about 1-1/2 inches in diameter with a pleasant, open-centered edible kernel, known as cokernut or pygmy coconut. The taste is somewhat like a miniature coconut.

Chilean wine palms do best in a sunny location. The trees are wind-tolerant, but their low salt tolerance make them generally unsuitable as beach palms.

The trees are widely adaptable to most soil conditions.

The palms are highly drought-tolerant once they are established..

Young trees benefit from an occasional light fertilizing with a complete fertilizer. Older trees generally thrive without fertilizing.

Pruning is is seldom needs since the trees tend to drop older leaves as they begin to die.

Propagation is from seed, which germinate erratically in six months to over a year.

The palms have no major pests, diseases or physiological problems.

The fruits are harvested as they ripen or fall to the ground. They are sometimes candied. The edible kernels are eaten raw or made into confections. The nuts will keep for months in cool, dryish storage. In Chile the sap from the trunk is fermented into palm wine or boiled down to a syrup known as palm honey. To harvest the sap, the crown of leaves is cut off, after which the sap begins to flow. This will continue for several months, provided a thin slice is shaved off the top each morning, until the tree is exhausted. Individual trees can yield up to 90 gallons.