Coconut Nucifera.

The genus Cocos are plants belonging to the family Palmaceae. The species used in gardening are: Cocos nucifera (Coconut palm) and Cocos weddeliana (Dwarf coconut palm).

The coconut palm is a large palm tree that can reach a height of 30 metres in its natural habitat, while indoors it can easily reach 3 metres. The dwarf coconut palm, on the other hand, is slightly taller than one metre. They have trunks covered with brown fibres and leaves with thin leaflets and long petioles.

It is used as an indoor plant in houses and greenhouses. They do not usually last many years. In tropical and subtropical climates they are used as single specimens or in small groups.

The coconut palm needs light but no direct sunlight and minimum temperatures of 16°C in winter and 25°C in summer.

The soil should be a mixture of 50% leaf mulch and 50% garden soil with a little sand. It should be transplanted when the roots appear below the pot to a slightly larger container.

It is advisable to water it abundantly in summer, reducing watering somewhat in winter, but keep the soil moist at all times. If it is very hot, it is important to spray the leaves with lime-free water.

Ideally, fertilise every 10 days with mineral fertiliser throughout spring and half the summer.

Pests that usually attack it are woolly scale insects and red spider mites if the environment is very dry.

The Cocos nucifera species can be multiplied by planting a coconut in a pot (with half of the fruit on the outside). Dwarf coconut palms are available from garden centres and plant shops.