Sugar Palm
Scientific name: Arenga pinnata
POWO Status: Tree
IUCN Red List threat level: Least Concern
GPS Location: 17° 42′ 59.03″ N, 64° 49′ 46.44″ W
Observations:
Phenological Markers – Sugar Palm (Arenga pinnata)
Common Name: Arenga Palm, Sugar Palm
Scientific Name: Arenga pinnata (Wurmb) Merr.
Family: Arecaceae (Palm family)
Origin: Native to Southeast Asia; cultivated and occasionally naturalized in tropical regions
Form: Tall, solitary-trunked palm, up to 20 meters in height; trunk covered with old leaf bases and fibers
Annual Phenological Cycle
| Phenophase | Typical Timing (St. Croix – Lowland Tropical) | Field Notes |
| Leaf Emergence | Year-round | Long, pinnate fronds (6–8 meters) emerge from the crown; leaves are dark green above, silvery below. |
| Flowering | Occurs once late in life (after ~12–20 years) | Massive inflorescences emerge from the trunk in descending order; flowering is monocarpic (plant dies after fruiting). |
| Fruit Development | 1–2 years following flowering | Round to oval fruits, up to 7 cm, in large hanging clusters. Fruits contain irritating oxalate crystals. |
| Leaf Drop | Continuous slow shedding | Older fronds die and hang before detaching naturally. |
| Dormancy | None | Continuous slow growth in tropical climates. |
Identification Notes
- Notable for silvery undersides of fronds and shaggy trunk fibers.
- Sap can be harvested from the inflorescence for palm sugar or fermented to produce toddy.
- The plant is monocarpic—once it completes flowering and fruiting, the entire palm dies.
- Fruits are not edible raw due to caustic sap but are processed in some cultures.
- Tolerant of poor soils but prefers moist, well-drained locations.