Nariyal / Coconut Palm
Cocos nucifera
- Habit
- Palm (Columnar)
- Found in India
- Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra & more
- Flowering
- Throughout the year
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Cocos nucifera
- Genus
- Cocos
- Family
- Arecaceae
- Habit
- Palm (Columnar)
- Native to
- Madagascar
- Distribution
- Cultivated in most parts of Topics of the world
- Found in India
- Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka
- Flowering & fruiting
- Throughout the year
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Recorded for Nariyal.
Flower & fruit characters
Typical of the Arecaceae family — flowering plants only; individual species can differ.
Local Names
- Hindi
- Nariyal नारियल, khopar,नारियल nariyal
- Bengali
- নারকেল
- Tamil
- தென்னை Tennai
- Telugu
- kobbari chettu కొబ్బరి చెట్టు, kobbari kaya కొబ్బరి కాయ, కొబ్బరి చెట్టు
- Malayalam
- Thengu, തെങ്ങ്
- Sinhala
- පොල්
Nariyal in India
The coconut palm defines India's coastline, above all in the south and west — Nariyal नारियल (Hindi), தென்னை Tennai (Tamil), kobbari chettu కొబ్బరి చెట్టు (Telugu), Thengu (Malayalam), নারকেল (Bengali). Cocos nucifera is recorded most heavily in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, and Kerala's very name is tied to the tree.
Uses
Almost every part is used: the water and white kernel as food and in cooking, the oil for cooking and hair care, the fibre (coir) for rope and matting, the fronds for thatch, and the whole fruit in worship and ceremony. Breaking a coconut is a common ritual act.
How to Identify Nariyal
A tall, single-trunked palm, often leaning, topped by a crown of long feather-shaped fronds. The large fibrous fruits cluster below the leaves. Unlike the similarly tall arecanut, its trunk is stouter and ringed, and the fruit is far bigger.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Coconut Palm called in different Indian languages?
- Nariyal नारियल (Hindi); தென்னை Tennai (Tamil); kobbari chettu కొబ్బరి చెట్టు (Telugu); Thengu (Malayalam); নারকেল (Bengali).
- Why is the coconut important in Indian rituals?
- Breaking a coconut is a common offering at temples and at the start of new ventures, and the fruit features in many ceremonies as a symbol of auspiciousness.
- Where do most coconuts grow in India?
- Coconut is concentrated along the southern and western coasts — Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa and the Konkan — where the humid coastal climate suits it.
Arecaceae
Palm family
Nariyal belongs to the Arecaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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Common plant problems
All plant problem & care guides →More in Arecaceae
View all Arecaceae →Sources: GBIF — Cocos nucifera (India distribution & vernacular names) (CC BY 4.0) · iNaturalist — Cocos nucifera (regional names, India observations) (CC BY 4.0) · Wikipedia — Cocos nucifera (background/comprehension only) (CC BY-SA 4.0)