Borassus aethiopum

Borassus aethiopium, otherwise known as African Fan Palm, Borassus Palm, or African Palmyra Palm, is a bottle shaped and smooth palm that can reach up to 25 m high when fully matured. It is named as such due to its crown composed of cluster of fan-shaped leaves. It is a dioecious species. The leaves are reportedly aphrodisiac and roots are used as mouthwash and against stomach parasites, bronchitis, sore throats and asthma. The fruit is edible fresh, dried, or cooked. Fruit juice can be obtained from immature fruits. Moreover, young seedlings, the tuberous portion of the first juvenile leaves, and the apical bud and young leaves are all consumed as vegetable. Sap can also be obtained from the plant and made into palm wine or vinegar. The leaves are used in thatching and as materials in making baskets and mats. The tree is an excellent fire break and is drought-resistant.

Borassus aethiopum is an evergreen Tree growing to 20 m by 5 m at a slow rate.
It is hardy to zone 10. The flowers are pollinated by Insects. The plant is not self-fertile.
It is noted for attracting wildlife.
Suitable for: light , medium and heavy soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic soils and can grow in very acid and very alkaline soils.
It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil and can tolerate drought.

Management: Standard Other Systems: Parkland Regional Crop Staple Crop: Oil Staple Crop: Sugar
A plant of hot, tropical climates with low to medium rainfall, usually at elevations below 400 metres, but up to 1,200 metres in east Africa. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 20 - 35c, but can tolerate 15 - 45c. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 500 - 1,000mm, but tolerates 400 - 1,200mm. Requires a well drained soil and a position in full sun. It is usually found in sandy, well-drained soils, but prefers alluvial soils near watercourses. Plants are able to extract nutrients, and thus grow, on very nutrient-poor soils. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 7, tolerating 5 - 7.5. Established plants are drought tolerant. A slow-growing but long lived tree to over 100 years old. Three phases of growth are recognized. The first phase, taking around 6 - 8 years, involves leaf development, in which about 20 leaves grow in a wide crown around 3 metres by 3 metres. Very little upward growth takes place at this time. The second phase involves rapid growth of the trunk above the ground and takes place around the ages of 8 - 20 years. The bark of the tree is still rough at this stage and have many leaf stalks. The third phase, from about 20 years onwards, involves flowering and shedding of leafstalks. The trunk becomes smooth and swellings appear on it. The plant usually flowers and produces fruit all year round. The flowering stems are tapped for their sap, a process that starts when the tree is about 30 years old and can continue for another 30 years if managed carefully. Yields of 2 litres of sap per day can be achieved. Plants are very tolerant of forest fires. A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required. A female palm can produce 20-50 fruits per flower stalk. Green to orange round fruit 15 cm across. Each fruit contain 3 hard coated seeds weighing 100g each. The individual fruit is about 1 kg.