Syagrus coronata

licuri palm

The fruits and seeds of this palm are important parts of the diets of rainforest animals, especially the endangered indigo (Lear’s) macaw, which lives in stands of licuri palms and whose diet is 95% licuri palm fruits. This is a good example of how conservation of animals and other organisms is linked to that of plants. No matter how much work is done to protect the animals themselves, if their food sources are disappearing, populations will continue to decline. In the case of the indigo macaw, licuri palm populations have been in decline because of forest clearing for ranches and compaction of the soil around licuri palms by grazing cattle. Here's a photo of the fruits developing on our palm as well as a short clip of an indigo macaw eating the fruit in its native habitat:

In the northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia, products from Syagrus palms, especially coronata, account for sometimes 90% of citizens’ income. Hats made from the palms stand out as a major source of revenue. Roles in production of these hats have created a hierarchical stratification of society in areas of Bahia. The hierarchy, from poorest to wealthiest along with their average weekly income from this work, is as follows: harvesters of the palm fronds ($1.00); manufacturers of fiber strands from palm leaflets ($1.10); weavers of hats from the fiber ($2.50); dealers who sell the hats to customers ($50); intermediate dealers who sell hats to road stand dealers or dealers from other cities ($100). Note that the middleman makes the most profit.

In addition to hats, leaves are used to make baskets, brooms, dog collars, hammocks, thatch roofs, and wax.

Humans, cattle, pigs, and chickens eat the ripe yellow-orange fruits fresh. Interestingly, the fruits taste like bananas but they are extremely fibrous, so it makes for rough forage. Once the fruit has been eaten (or removed), the seed kernel inside is often used to make oil for soap production, flour, or rosaries.

The licuri palm has an attractive trunk with an oft-spiraled pattern of leaf bases and is a drought-tolerant palm suitable for xeriscaping.