Common Name: Sugar Palm

General Information

Arenga pinnata is a single-stemmed, unarmed, monoecious feather palm growing 7 - 20 metres tall[]. The unbranched stem can be 30 - 65cm in diameter; it is clothed near the top with the fibrous sheaths of dead leaves; and topped by a crown of large leaves[].
A multipurpose tree, it is commonly grown in tropical Asia because of its year-round food production and many other uses[]. It is especially useful since it provides a source of food in the dry season when other food is scarce[]. Its most popular product is its sap, obtained from the flowering stems, which is used to make a sugar[].

Known Hazards

The fruits of most species in this genus are poisonous and are sometimes used criminally[].
The fleshy mesocarp of the fruits usually contains many oxalate crystals, making the flesh inedible[].

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - probably India and Malaysia.

Habitat

Usually found close to human settlements, often as a result of human activity[]. Otherwise it prefers secondary forest at the border of primary rainforests[]. Often found on sites poor in nutrients and mesic sites such as denuded hillsides[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	15.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the moist, lowland 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 22 - 28°c, but can tolerate 16 - 32°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 3,000 - 3,500mm, but tolerates 2,000 - 4,000mm[].
Prefers a deep fertile moisture-retentive but well-drained soil[, ]. Plants grow well in full sun, even when small[, ]. Prefers a pH in the range 6 - 7, tolerating 5 - 8[].
The plant usually produces its first flowers when around 10 - 12 years old, though it can flower as early as 5 - 6 years[].
Depending on altitude and temperature and to a lesser degree on factors such as soil fertility, climate and competing vegetation, the palms will stay in the rosette stage for 3.5 - 6 years, and then grow to full size in another 3 - 9 years[].
Usually after 5 - 6 years, the fibres can be collected for the first time and after that, every 2 years[].
When the palm begins flowering, tapping for the sweet sap can start, but farmers usually wait for the first male flowers. The sap is usually tapped only from male inflorescence stalks, because female inflorescences are said to produce sap of inferior quality, and the more fibrous stalk of the females requires extra effort to prepare. Usually, the closer to the ground the male inflorescence arises, the less sap it produces. One inflorescence can produce about 5 litres of sap a day. An inflorescence of sugar palm can be tapped for 1 - 2 months, and 2 - 4 inflorescences may be tapped at a time[].
Since sago, the starchy layer on the inner part of the trunk, is obtained only by cutting trees, it is usually the last product obtained; trees are usually cut for sago when they are more than 30 years old[].
The black roots are very strong, extending up to 10 metres from the stem and going as deep as 3 metres[].

Edible Uses

A drink and sugar are made from the sweet sap obtained from the flowering stems[, ]. It is obtained by beating and bruising the developing inflorescence, which is then cut and a juice is obtained from the cut end over a period[].

Leaves - cooked[, ]. The appical bud, known as a 'palm heart' is sometimes used for food[]. It can be eaten raw in salads or cooked as a vegetable[]. Removing this bud will result in the death of the plant, since it is unable to produce side shoots[].

A sago-like flour can be ground from the trunk pith and used for cakes, noodles and other dishes[, , ].

A product typically made from the plant in West Java is known as kolang kaling - this is the cooked endosperm of young sugar palm fruits. One infructescence yields about 4,500 endosperms. It is used for a cocktail and local refreshment known as kolak[].

Medicinal

Roots provide medicinal products, such as a tea decoction used to cure bladder trouble[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant has an extensive root system, up to 3 metres deep and 10 metres wide[]. It has been planted, especially on slopes, for soil stabilization[].

Other Uses

The leaf sheath is a source of a tough, black fibre (gomuti or yonot fibre). It is not pliable enough to be used for purposes such as running rigging, but is very strong and durable and used chiefly for making cables and a very strong rope that is tolerant of both fresh and salt water and of fire; it is used for marine work, thatching, upholstery and brushes[, , ].
The hairs found on the base of the leaf sheaths are very good tinder for igniting fire[].
The fibre, placed in the bottom of a vessel, is useful for filtering water of its physical impurities[].
At the base of the leaves there is a woolly material used in caulking ships and stuffing cushions[].
Old woody leaf bases, as well as the long leaves, can be used for fuel[].

The split petioles are used for basketry and a form of marquetry[]. The youngest leaves are sometimes used as cigarette paper[].

The leaves are used as a source of thatching material[].

The roots are a useful insect repellent[].

The trunks of dead trees are allowed to rot and become hollow and are then used as water pipes[].

The pith of the leaf rachis is an ideal shape for use as a drinking cup[].

The very hard outer part of the trunk is used for barrels, flooring and furniture. Posts for pepper vines, boards, tool handles and musical instruments like drums are all made from the wood[]

Propagation

Seed - pre-soak for 24 hours in warm water and sow in deep containers. Alternatively, scratch the seed near the germination spot until the brown, inner seed-coat layer becomes visible, then soak in water overnight[]. The seeds should then be seeded in a clean medium with good aeration, planted with the germination spot downward and covered with a 1-cm layer of sand. The sand should be kept moist at all times[]. Within 2-3 weeks about 80% of the seeds will have germinated and can be transplanted to any type of container[]. Germination varies from 2 - 12 months or more[].
Direct sowing is possible but seedlings take a long time to establish well and may grow at irregular distances. Untreated seeds freely dispersed show 10-20% germination after 6 months[].
Plants can also sometimes be propagated through suckers[].

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