Wine palm, Cherry palm
Pseudophoenix vinifera

Family: Arecaceae

What it is like

A palm with a swollen trunk. It grows 25 m tall. The trunk is 30 cm across. It bulges about the mid point and narrows near the crown. The trunk is deep grey and has closely set dark rings of leaf base scars. These become less distinct with age. The leaf crown is 5 m wide. The crown-shaft is 60 cm long. It tapers from the base to the tip. The leaves are stiff and upright and silvery grey. They are 3.3-4 m long. They arch over and are feathery. The leaf stalks are 30-60 cm long and silvery white. All parts of the tree have a thin layer of whitish wax. The fruit clusters hang down among the leaves. They hang close to the trunk. They are bright red when ripe. The fruit are covered with a layer of wax when mature. They are edible.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows on limestone foothills. It grows in regions with low rainfall. It suits seasonally moist and dry climates. It is hardy. It suits plant hardiness zones 10-11.

Countries/locations it is found in

Australia, Central America, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Hispaniola, West Indies

How it is used for food

The plant has been used to make palm wine. The trunk is cut and the sugary sap squeezed out and then fermented.

Edible parts

Fruit - wine, sap

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed. Seed germinate and grow very slowly.

Its other names

Local names

Cacheo, Katie, Buccaneer palm

Synonyms

Aeria vinifera (Mart.) O. F. Cook; Cocos vinifera (Mart.) Mart,; Cyclospathe northropi O. F. Cook; Euterpe vinifera Mart.; Gaussia vinifera (Mart.) H. Wendl.; Pseudophoenix insignis O. F. Cook; Raphia vinifera Descourt;