Phytelephas macrocarpa aka Ivory Palm

Phytelephas macrocarpa is an evergreen palm in the Arecaceae family. Its common names include tagua and ivory nut palm. Kew gives its range as Panama to Bolivia and northwestern Brazil. Other sources list Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru. It grows in wet tropical forests, including lowland sites. These sites include soils laid down by rivers.

This palm has one stem and a broad leaf crown. Sources give heights of about 10–11.5 feet [3–3.5 metres]. Plants For A Future gives a spread of 10 feet [3 metres]. The crown holds 12–20 leaves above an unbranched stem. The stem may stay below ground or creep along it. A creeping stem can reach 6.6 feet [2 metres] long. Its width can reach about 1 foot [0.3 metres]. The short stem and large crown define the plant's form.

The flowers are large, white, and strong-scented. Male and female flowers grow on separate plants. Both sexes must grow together to produce fruit and seed. The plant bears compound fruits containing large seeds. Each seed is about the size of a hen's egg. Growth is slow, and fruiting takes time. Seedlings may need 7–25 years before they first bear fruit. Reports of seed germination range from one to four years.

This palm needs warmth, moist soil, and shelter from wind. Plants For A Future lists USDA zones 10–12. It may withstand brief spells with temperatures near freezing. That does not make it a palm for cold climates. Grow it in sun rather than shade, with good drainage. It accepts sandy, loamy, and clay soils. It also tolerates mildly acid, neutral, and mildly alkaline soil. The supplied sources give no specific pest or disease details.

Young seed tissue provides food before it turns hard. People eat the jelly-like endosperm or drink its sweet liquid. Young fruits are edible, and fruit serves as a coffee substitute. People also cook and eat the growing tip. Removing this bud kills the palm, which cannot form side branches. Mature seeds become hard enough for carving as vegetable ivory. Craftspeople use them for buttons, chess pieces, and ornaments. People use the leaves for baskets and roof thatch. Plant fibre supplies material for brooms, torches, and fire starters. The sources report no known hazards or medicinal uses.