Cohune Nut
A tropical plant. It does best in the hot humid lowland tropics. It grows at low elevations in Central America. It suits hardiness zones 9-12. It needs regular moisture and humidity. It needs fertile, well drained soil. It needs full sun. In Cairns Botanical Gardens. In Townsville palmetum.
Also known as:
Biscoyol, Cayaco, Coquito, Coquito de aceite, Corozo, Coyol, Guacoyol, Manaca, Palem kohune
Synonyms
- Cocos cocoyule Mart.
- Cocos guacuyule Liebm ex Mart.
- Orbignya cohune (Mart.) Dahlgren ex Standl.
- Orbignya dammeriana Barb. Rodr.
- Orbignya guacuyale (Liebm. ex Mart.) E. Hern.
Edible Portion
- Cabbage, Kernel, Oil, Fruit, Palm heart, Nuts, Vegetable
Where does Cohune Nut grow?
Found in: Asia, Australia, Belize, Central America, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Nicaragua, North America, SE Asia, Singapore, South America, United States
Notes: There are between (22) 30-71 Attalea species. Some authorities divide them among Attalea, Orbignya, Scheela and Maximiliana. Cohune oil is used as a lubricant.
Growing Cohune Nut
Cultivation: Plants are grown from seed. Seed germinate readily. They take 2 months to germinate. Young plants can withstand direct sun.
Edible Uses: The young leaf buds are cooked and eaten as a vegetable. The nuts yield an oil which can substitute for coconut oil. The kernels are removed from the shell. The oil is used in margarine and for baking and in biscuits.
Production: Nuts are often collected after they fall. The nut has a hard shell. There is a machine capable of breaking 100 tons of fruit per day. The palm heart is usually taken from a 7-10 year old palm. One palm can yield 250 kg of nuts per year.
Nutrition Info
per 100g edible portion| Edible Part | Energy (kcal) | Protein (g) | Iron (mg) | Vitamin A (ug) | Vitamin c (mg) | Zinc (mg) | % Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palm heart | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Nuts | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Nut | - | 6.8 | - | - | - | - |
Cohune Nut Photos
References
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World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew