Trees

• Tall coconut trees grow 80 to 100 feet tall, and dwarf varieties vary. They have a smooth gray trunk that is usually curved and swollen at the base. A crown of yellowish-green palm leaves up to 17 feet long sit atop the trunk.
  
  

Flowers

• Coconut trees begin to flower when they are 4 to 6 years old. Flowering branches emerge from sheaths that sit among the leaves, each bearing both male and female flowers. The flowers are light yellow, and the smaller, male flowers bloom at the end of the branches while the larger, female flowers bloom near the base.
  
  

Fruit

• Coconuts are round to oval with a hard shell covered with fiber. They are up to 8 inches in diameter and 12 inches long. Inside they have a white fleshy layer called the meat, and a hollow center that is sometimes filled with a liquid called coconut milk. Immature coconuts are filled with milk, which is gradually absorbed as the nut matures.
  
  

Requirements

• Coconut palms tolerate brackish soils and salt spray, and are typically found along sandy shores. They thrive inland as well, where they tolerate a wide range of soils. They need full sun, a well-drained soil, a minimum average temperature of 72 degrees Fahrenheit and 30 to 50 inches of rainfall per year. They tolerate strong winds and temporary flooding. Coconuts grow well in United States Department of Agriculture zones 10 and 11, which are essentially frost free. The foliage discolors and the plant becomes vulnerable to diseases after exposure to freezing temperatures.