Mangrove Date Palm, Swamp date palm
Phoenix paludosa

Family: Arecaceae

What it is like

A palm tree 2-6 m high. It is a suckering plant. The trunks are covered with a mass of narrow leaf bases. The leaves are spreading and the leaflets are limp. They are green above and grey underneath. The leaves are 2-2.6 m long. They arch over. Leaf sheaths are covered with coarse fibres. The leaf stalks have long yellowish thorns. The leaflets are soft and erect. They grow in clusters arranged at different angles. This gives the leaves a feathery appearance. The fruit are about 1 cm long. They can be orange or black when ripe.

There are 17 Phoenix species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows at the back of the mangrove and along banks. It grows in swampy areas that are occasionally flooded with salt water. It grows in wetlands. It suits tropical and subtropical locations. It is cold sensitive. It cannot tolerate drought. In Townsville palmetum.

Countries/locations it is found in

Andamans, Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, SE Asia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam

How it is used for food

The green fruit is eaten as a vegetable. It is eaten in curries. The palm heart is edible.

Edible parts

Fruit, palm heart, cabbage

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Bengal date palm, Chak toch, Dangsar, Hantal, Hatal, Hental, Hintal, Rophey, Thinbaung

Synonyms

Phoenix siamensis Miq.;