Palma real (Attalea colenda)

Family: Arecaceae | Edibility: Choice Edible (4/5)

Attalea colenda or Palma Real is a large, monoecious, tropical palm of up to 30 m tall found in Colombia, Ecuador, and South America. It has a thick trunk, long and upright leaves, and large, oily, oval fruits. The large seed yields cooking oil. Fibre can be obtained from the leaves.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Fruit, Nuts/Seeds

Harvest Seasons: Fall, Late Summer

Flavor & Culinary Uses

Edible portion: Seeds, oil. An oil extracted from the seed is used for cooking. Similar to coconut and African oil palm. — Edible portion: Seeds, oil.; An oil extracted from the seed is used for cooking.; Similar to coconut and African oil palm.; The infructescences of this species are unusually large and heavy, with some of them weighing more than 100 kilos; an assay of the individual seeds showed 51.74% oil and 4.28% water.

Habitat & North American Range

Lowland rain forest or deciduous forest, especially common in disturbed or cleared areas, at elevations up to 900 metres. It normally grows between 400-500 m altitude in Ecuador. It can grow up to 1300 m altitude. (Zone 10)