Palma Real / Wine Palm

Palma Real is a tropical evergreen plant that grows in the dry forests of the Amazon from Mexico to Bolivia. It has a straight and single stem that reaches a height of 25 meters. Its yellow to orange-brown fruits are oval, densely arranged, and pendulous. The raw fruit pulp is fleshy and fibrous. It is tasty, with a thick, almost dry consistency and a mildly sweet and nutty taste.

The apical bud is eaten as a vegetable. The fruit, which has a mildly sweet and nutty taste, is eaten raw, and a drink is made from the fruit, Mesocarp. Also, the fermented sap is used as vinegar for cooking.

The seeds are crushed and mixed with cooked bananas to be eaten. Edible oil is also obtained from the seeds.

The Palma Real is an evergreen tree that is crucial to environmental sustainability. This species spreads rapidly. Therefore, it has great potential to be used to restore native forests.

The leaves are widely used for thatching and weaving. It can also be used in rope making and coarse cloth, and its wood is used as a building material. The sugar obtained from this plant is comparable to that from sugarcane. Also, this plant's oil can be used in cosmetics (soap, body cream, hair lotion) and margarine production. After consuming the oil, the remaining cake is used for animal feed. Therefore, it is important for the local economy.

Annual Yield

The tree produces about 200 to 360 kg of fruit annually.  

• Palma Real has cancer prevention activity,
• Its seed cake is good for treating goitre,  
• Seed oil helps treat bronchial ailments,  
• Fermented sap is used to clean the vagina and increase fertility,  
• Seed oil is used for hair care.