Common Name: Doum Palm

General Information

Doum palm is a medium to large, evergreen fan palm growing up to 20 metres tall. Unlike almost all other palms, this species is able to form branches, each branch being crowned with large, fan-shaped leaves[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild as a local source of material for thatching and weaving etc. It also has minor medicinal uses and various edible uses.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Tropical East Africa - Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique.

Habitat

Hot, dry areas in poor or exhausted soils with impeded drainage[]. Open grassland[]. Dry areas along river courses and at the coast, often forming pure stands on deep sand or alluvial soils, at elevations from sea level to 1,400 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	15.00 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the arid to dry tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 1,400 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 20 - 30°c, but can tolerate 15 - 35°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 300 - 800mm, but tolerates 200 - 900mm[].
Plants grow well in full sun, even when small[]. Found in the wild on poorly drained, light, dry soils of low fertility[]. Prefers a pH in the range 6 - 7, tolerating 5.5 - 7.5[]. Established plants are drought tolerant. The plant requires a high water-table and hot climate for good growth[].

Plants succeed in moist tropical climates where temperatures never fall below 10°c, the average annual rainfall is 1,500mm or more and the driest month has 25mm or more rain[]. They can also succeed in drier areas with an annual rainfall as low as 250mm and one month or more where rainfall is below 25mm[].
Dioecious, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[, ]. The pulp has a sweet flavour but is very fibrous, it makes a poor food[]. Sweet with a pleasant odour, it is liked by children[].

The juice from young, immature fruits is drunk like coconut milk[].

Seed - raw[].

A sap obtained by tapping the crown of the plant is fermented into a poor quality alcoholic beverage[]. A good palm wine is produced from sap obtained by tapping the tip of the main stem[].

Medicinal

The pulp of the fruit is eaten as a remedy for intestinal worms[].

Other Uses

The leaves are used for thatching or for weaving into baskets, mats, hats, fans etc[, ].

Seed - used as a source of vegetable ivory[].

The wood is used for building poles and fuel[].

Propagation

Seed -

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