Palm tree up to 18m tall. Stem erect and scarred. Leaves up to 4.5m long, grouped in clusters and in several planes. Flowering structure (inflorescence) up to 30cm long. Fruits approximately 2.5cm long, ovoid to conical. Oil palm, (Elaeis guineensis), African tree in the palm family (Arecaceae), cultivated as a source of oil. The oil palm is grown extensively in its native West and Central Africa, as well as in Malaysia and Indonesia. Palm oil, obtained from the fruits, is used in making soaps, cosmetics, candles, biofuels, and lubricating greases and in processing tinplate and coating iron plates. Palm kernel oil, from the seeds, is used in manufacturing such edible products as margarine, ice cream, chocolate confections, cookies, and bread, as well as many pharmaceuticals. The cake residue after kernel oil is extracted is a cattle feed. The plant is also grown as an ornamental in many subtropical areas.
African Oil Palm Care
Elaeis Guineensis
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Humidity
Normal
Lighting
Full Sun
Temperature
20°C - 38°C
Hardiness zone
10 - 12
Difficulty
Medium
How to Care for the Plant
Water
It prefers moist or wet soil.
Sunlight
Plants grow well in full sun, even when small
Soil
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very acid soils.
Temperature
It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 20 - 35°c, but can tolerate 12 - 38°c. The plant is quite tolerant, though, and succeeds in southern China where there are light frosts and mean daily temperatures can drop below 10°c for weeks on end
Popularity
74 people already have this plant 11 people have added this plant to their wishlists
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