Macaw Palm

Scientific name: Acrocomia aculeata

POWO Status: Tree

IUCN Red List threat level: Least Concern

GPS Location: 17° 42′ 59.03″ N, 64° 49′ 46.33″ W

20250723
20250723

Observations

Phenological Markers – Acrocomia aculeata (Macaw Palm / Coyol Palm)

Family: Arecaceae (Palm family)
Common Names: Macaw Palm, Coyol Palm, Grugru Palm, Tucum Palm, Mbocayá
Habitat: Native to a broad range of tropical and subtropical Latin America, including the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. Commonly found in savannas, dry forests, roadsides, and disturbed lands—adapted to seasonally dry environments and poor soils.

Phenological Markers:

  • Flowering Period:
    Typically flowers in the dry to early rainy season, from March to June. The species is monoecious, with male and female flowers on the same inflorescence. Flowers are yellowish to cream and heavily fragrant, attracting pollinators such as bees and beetles.
  • Fruiting Period:
    Fruits mature over 5–6 months, usually ripening from September to December. The fruit is a round green drupe that turns yellow to orange-brown when ripe. It contains a fibrous pulp and a hard nut (rich in oil) with one seed.
  • Leaf Fall:
    Evergreen, though individual fronds naturally age, yellow, and fall year-round. Frond loss may increase during prolonged dry periods.
  • Budding Period:
    New fronds emerge continuously, with a growth flush typically seen in the early rainy season (April to July).

Key Features:

  • Leaves: Pinnate fronds up to 3–5 meters long; leaf bases and petioles heavily armed with sharp black spines.
  • Trunk: Tall (up to 15–20 meters), straight, ringed, and densely spiny, especially on younger trees.
  • Flowers: Cream-colored, borne in large, spiny panicles below the crownshaft.
  • Fruits: Spherical, 3–5 cm in diameter, with edible pulp and oil-rich seed (used for biodiesel, soap, and food products).

Additional Notes:

In traditional practices, the fermented sap (coyol wine) is used to produce a mildly alcoholic beverage.

The fruit is consumed by macaws and other wildlife, giving rise to the common name Macaw Palm.

Oil from seeds (similar to coconut or African palm oil) is being studied for biofuel production.

The palm is extremely drought-tolerant and thrives in disturbed or degraded soils, making it useful for reforestation and land reclamation.

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