Coconuts are well-known all over the globe. The iconic symbol of tropical environments, they hang in large numbers on huge coconut palm trees. Have you ever stopped to think about where coconuts are grown around the globe?

Coconut palm trees are where coconuts grow. These trees are only found in tropical areas between 25 degrees north and 25 degrees south. Coconut palms can be found in Australia, the Pacific Islands and the Caribbean as well as Indonesia.

Continue reading to find out about the different regions where coconut palm trees can be found. We will also discuss the best conditions for growing one.

Why Coconut Palm Trees Only Grow In Certain Places

Before we go into the locations where coconut trees can be found, let’s first discuss the basics of a palm tree to help you understand why they grow where it does.

Let’s get to it!

Coconut Tree Characteristics

There are two types of coconut trees. The tall one is the most common. The tallest coconut tree is the most common.

To see the potential height of the coconut tree, read our article on how tall coconuts grow.

Coconut palms are often found near beaches, so the trunk bends in the wind. The coconut palm’s base is thicker to withstand wind and not be knocked over.

A coconut palm tree’s leaves are large. They can reach 18 feet in length. This is almost twice the height of an average giraffe. Each leaf contains leaflets and is arranged in a spiraling arrangement that can reach up to 5 feet.

How do coconuts form on the Coconut Palm Tree?

It’s difficult to imagine how a coconut could grow on a tree if you haven’t seen one. When fully mature, coconuts can weigh in at around 3 pounds. Only the immense size of the coconut palm trees allows them to bear such heavy fruit.

Wait…fruit? Coconuts can be considered a fruit. They are also considered a tree-nut, just to make things more confusing

A flower pod with a canoe shape is what forms coconuts. The flower pods contain both male and female flowers.

The sweet nectar in the flowers attracts bees that can travel between male and female flowers.

It takes approximately 6 months for the entire process to be completed before the coconut can finally be harvested. This is not a mature coconut. They can mature for up to a year and then turn brown and fall to ground.

Coconut palm trees are a great alternative to non-tropical trees because they produce fruit all year. Each lunar cycle will bring new flowers. New coconuts will be formed as long as they’re pollinated.

You will see the oldestcoconuts if you look down at a coconut palm tree. The new coconuts are similar to leaves and form in a spiraling fashion. They continue to spiral upward as the form.

Climate And Soil Requirements To Grow A Coconut Palm Tree

You might be interested to grow a coconut palm tree if you live in one the areas listed below. This will help you understand the most common areas where coconuts can be found.

What is the best way to grow a coconut palm plant?

Temperature Germination is best at 95 degrees, but Penn State University says that temperatures around 80 are fine. Growth could be slowed if the temperature falls below 72 during growth.

Soil Coconut palm trees love soil with a pH of 5.0 to 8.0. They will grow in any soil, provided it is well-drained.

Sun: Coconut Palms love the sun! They thrive in full sunlight and are not able to grow well in shade.

Timing Because coconut palms are tropically grown, they can be planted any time of year. The best results are achieved in the summer when it is warm and humid.

Rainfall It is important to determine where a tree can thrive. Coconut trees prefer to live in areas that receive a lot of rainfall (around 30-50 inches annually).

To learn more about how to water your coconut tree, see our watering requirements article.

Fertilizer Coconut palm tree will thrive on a fertilizer such as Miracle Gro Shake ‘N Feed Plant Food. It’s rich in iron, manganese and magnesium which helps palm trees grow quickly. A study published in the Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition found that boron is also an effective fertilizer.

9 Common Places Coconuts Can Grow

Let’s find out more about the incredible coconut palm tree.

Florida

Florida is one of two states that can grow coconut palm trees. Hawaii is the other, but we’ll get there later.

Coconut palm trees thrive in humid areas where temperatures average around 80 degrees. Because they love the sun, coconut palm trees prefer to be near ocean shores.

It sounds like Florida to me.

Although Florida has plenty of great stuff for coconut palm trees, the best growing conditions are found at the southern tip.

Because they are able to disperse through the ocean currents, natural coconut palms can’t be found inland. They can only be found inland if they are planted by a person who carried the seed.

Coconuts love to live along the coast, it is obvious. You can find coconut palm trees along Florida’s east coast, from Stuart to Key West, and from Punta Gorda to Key West.

Did you know that palms can be grown in New Orleans. However, coconut trees aren’t often grown in New Orleans.

Hawaii

Although Hawaii is a part the United States, the culture of Hawaii is very different from the one found in the rest of the country.

The coconut tree isn’t native to Hawaii. It was brought in by the Polynesian settlers.

Coconut palm trees are now found on all eight Hawaiian islands – Ni’ihau to O’ahu, Kaua’i to O’ahu and Moloka’i to Lana’i to Maui and Kaho’olawe. They are also found on Kauo, an uninhabited island.

Many of the coconut palm trees found on the islands were planted by the chiefs and kings of the island in order to shade their royal fish tanks. Because of the dangers posed by falling coconuts, some ancient groves such as the Kapuaiwa Coco Grove are not allowed to be walked through.

Early settlers had plenty of material from coconut trees. To make things such as:

• Buttons
• Rope
• Musical Instruments
• Brooms
• Roofing Materials

They also used coconut trees for their food, such as coconut milk, oil, and meat.

Africa

Many people think of Africa as a vast desert with lots of savannahs, and some jungles. This is despite not having a good grasp of geography. We think of gazelles, cheetahs and crocodiles.

Africa offers more than deserts, savannahs. The second-largest forest in the world is located around the famous Congo River. Coconut palm trees can be found along the warmer coasts.

It’s not surprising that coconut palm trees flourish along Africa’s tropical coasts, since the equator runs across Africa.

Coconut palms, however, are not native to Africa, as is Hawaii.

These coconuts were brought by colonists and traders who used them as a source of fresh water during long sea voyages. Coconuts are the most water-rich when they’re young and green.

It is possible that older coconuts were carried overboard to be flung to the shores until they reach the coasts. Coconuts can also float for months without reaching the shores and still germinate into trees.

Coconut palm trees can be found in Africa’s western and eastern coast regions.

West Coast: Coconut palms can be found from Senegal’s west coast to Angola’s northern and central coasts.

East Coast: From the southern tip in Somalia, coconut palm trees can be found all the way to the northern parts of South Africa.

Why not both the northern and southern coasts?

It is outside the comfort zone of the coconut palm. They prefer to stay within the 25degN or 25degS latitudes. The northern and southern Africa coasts are out of their range.

Coconut palms are found in places as far north and south as South Africa’s southern tip.

Asia

Asia is a vast continent, but it is not habitable by the coconut palm tree. The coconut tree cannot survive in any country other than Pakistan and China.

Duke University says that Asia accounts for more than 80% of global coconut production.

These are the three largest coconut producers:

• Indonesia – #1
• Philippines – #2
• India #3

These are not the only places in Asia where coconut palm trees can be seen swaying in winds and emitting tropical vibes.

Sri Lanka is 4th in the world for coconut production. This tropical island, located just below India, provides the ideal environment for coconut palm trees to thrive.

Coconut palm trees can also be found in southern Bangladesh and western and southern Myanmar as well as along the coast of Malaysia.

Coconut palm trees can be found along the east coast of Asia. They grow along the coasts Vietnam and eastern China up to Quanzhou. They can also be found on the island Taiwan.

Australia

Australia is home to many scary creatures, including scary spiders and scary snakes. Coconuts are a good option for those who fear the scary creatures that inhabit New Guinea.

Papua New Guinea can be found north of Australia. The island is almost divided in half with the western half belonging Indonesia and the eastern part being Australia.

Coconut palms grace the beaches of this island. They can also be found inland, as Papua New Guinea is 7th largest coconut producer in the world.

Papua New Guinea is located just below the Equator and has the perfect conditions for growing coconut trees: warmth throughout the year, humidity, and lots of rain.

Mexico & Central America

The best growing conditions for coconut palm trees are found in Mexico and Central America. Although both countries are in North America, Central America has a distinct culture and history.

Coconut palm trees aren’t native to Mexico and Central America. We’ll be getting to the origins of coconuts later, so don’t worry.

According the Washington University of St. Louis coconuts were likely brought to Mexico by travelers from the Philippines during colonial times.

Jalisco is located on Mexico’s west coast and is the largest producer of coconuts. Coconut trees are also found along the east coast of Mexico. However, they are more easily located on the west coast.

Central America includes Belize, Guatemala and El Salvador, Honduras Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Costa Rica, Panama, Honduras, Nicaragua and Nicaragua.

All of Central America is home to coconut palm trees. Coconut trees thrive in the tropical climate that is warm and humid.

South America

South America is known for its coffee beans production and distribution. We wouldn’t be able to live without our morning cup. However, South America also produces many coconuts from different countries.

The tropical coconut palm tree can be found along South America’s northern, eastern, and northwestern coasts. These are the countries where coconuts can be found:

• Ecuador
• Peru
• Venezuela
• Guyana
• Suriname
• French Guiana
• Brazil
• Columbia

The top of the continent is bounded by the equator, which makes it ideal for coconut palms.

Despite having warm climates throughout the year in Argentina and Uruguay, the average summer temperature in Argentina is 75 degrees and 65 in Uruguay. These temperatures are not suitable for the coconut tree.

Europe

It almost feels cheating to include Europe. It is too cold to grow coconut palm trees on Europe. Right?

All parts of Europe are too cold to grow coconut palm trees with the exception of Canary Islands which are part of Spain, but closer to Africa.

The Canary Islands, located west of Africa, are directly across the border that separates Morocco and Western Sahara. Although the islands are a little out of the comfort zone for coconut palms, you can still find them there.

Tenerife is the Canary Islands’ most famous area for coconut trees. This volcanic island is home to coconut palms and has many sunny days.

Where Did Coconut Trees Originally Come From?

You might have noticed that we stated that the coconut palm trees are not native to most of the above-mentioned areas. We were not very quiet about Asia…

A plant evolutionary biologist from Washington University, St. Louis looked at the DNA of over a thousand coconuts taken from all over the globe. He discovered that there were two distinct DNAs for coconuts.

One is from the Pacific Ocean Basin, the other is from the Indian Ocean Basin. This resulted in the conclusion that coconut palms originated in two areas: the Philippines islands and southern India/Sri Lanka.

Coconuts originated in these two areas and have since spread to almost every place they can grow.

Amazing how many things you can do with a single coconut:

• Food
• Potable Water
• Rope
• Charcoal
• Flotation device

This list may not be as impressive today with modern technology, but it was for pioneers, travelers and native people.

Naturally, people wanted to bring this incredible fruit wherever they went! This is how the coconut spread beyond two regions and into almost every region, just above the Tropic of Cancer.

You can see the map of the DNA study to get a better idea of how coconuts spread across these two regions.

Do All Palm Trees Grow Coconuts?

You might be wondering why coconuts aren’t on the palm trees while you cruise along in central or northern Florida.

There are more than 2,000 types of palm trees. However, only one tree can grow coconuts: The coconut palm tree. Some palm trees produce different fruits, such as dates, acai, and peach palms.

You can buy a coconut tree online if you live in a place where they can thrive, or if your home is too cold for them to grow. You can plant a coconut tree if you live close to one. It will grow into a new tree within 3-6 months.

Did you know you could even grow certain kinds of palm trees in New York . However, it is not possible to grow tropical coconut trees in this climate.

That’s A Wrap!

Most coconut palm trees can be found between 25degN & 25degS. They love areas that are sunny, warm, and humid.

These incredible trees were so useful to colonists and early settlers who used them for water, food and rope.

The coconut tree is a native of Sri Lanka, southern India, and the Philippines. However, it has since spread to every continent, except Antarctica.

These are the 9 most popular places where coconuts can grow:

• Florida – Southern tip
• Hawaii
• East- and West-coasts of Africa
• Asia – Especially in India, Indonesia, and the Philippines
• Papua New Guinea
• Mexico – Especially in Jalisco
• Central America
• South America – Especially in Brazil
• Europe – The Canary Islands only

You can find the largest concentration of coconut palm trees in India, Indonesia and the Philippines.

If you prefer to stay in the USA, you can visit any of the Hawaiian islands or the southern tip Florida.