Common Name: Chilean Wine Palm

General Information

Jubaea chilensis is an evergreen, single-stemmed palm tree that can grow up to 25 metres tall. The massive, straight, cylindrical, unbranched trunk can be 150cm or more in diameter, topped by a dense, hemispherical rosette of long, pinnate leaves each of which can be up to 360cm long[, , ]
Allied to the coconut (Cocos nucifera) with similar but smaller fruits, Jubaea chilensis is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of materials. The sap and the seeds are traded commercially, the sap being made into wine, syrup etc whilst the young nuts are sold as a snack food[].
Jubaea chilensis has a narrow distribution in valleys close to the sea, with its distribution being highly fragmented by human action since the trees were cut to extract sap in the past, although now this threat is controlled. At present threats are more related to climate change, an increase of fire risk, urbanization, invasive alien species and the extraction of seeds for human consumption. The plant is classified as 'Endangered' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2021)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

S. America - Chile - between latitudes 31 to 35°south[]..

Habitat

Seasonally dry river valleys near the coast, usually associated with sclerophyllous forest type and/or spiny matorral vegetation; at elevations up to 1,400 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Endangered
Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	12.00 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Jubaea chilensis is native to dry regions in the warm temperate zone of Chile, where it can experience short lived frosts and has been known to survive temperatures as low as -9°c[]. We have no records of the cultivation needs of this plant in Britain, and it is said in many books that it is not hardy in Britain; however, some trees have been growing outdoors in Torquay in southwest Britain since 1900 and they were 7.5 metres tall in 1972[, ].
The plant will probably require a sunny sheltered position in a moist but well-drained soil[]. Some reports say that it can tolerate several degrees of short-lived frost[, ].
Palms usually have deep penetrating root systems and generally establish best when planted out at a young stage. However, older plants are substantially more cold tolerant than juvenile plants[]. In areas at the limit of their cold tolerance, therefore, it is prudent to grow the plants in containers for some years, giving them winter protection, and only planting them into their permanent positions when sheer size dictates[]. Palms can also be transplanted even when very large. Although the thick fleshy roots are easily damaged and/or desiccated, new roots are generally freely produced. It is important to stake the plant very firmly to prevent rock, and also to give it plenty of water until re-established - removing many of the leaves can also help[].
This species is sometimes cultivated for its edible fruit and seed plus its many other uses[]. It is a very slow-growing plant that takes several years before it begins to form a trunk and takes up to 60 years to produce seed[]. The tree is becoming very rare in its native range because it has been widely exploited for its edible sap. The trees are beheaded and a large quantity of sap exudes from the trunk. Unfortunately, the tree cannot produce side branches and so it dies after this treatment[].

Edible Uses

Sap - raw or cooked. A very sweet taste, it can be used as a refreshing drink[, , , ], concentrated into a syrup or fermented into a wine[]. The tree is felled and the crown removed, the sap then begins to flow and, providing a thin section of trunk is removed daily, the sap will continue to flow for several months[]. Yields of over 400 litres of sap can be obtained from a tree[].

Fruit - candied and used as a sweetmeat[, ].The fruit is about 5cm in diameter[].

Seed - raw or cooked[, ]. A pleasant nutty flavour raw[], they are also used in sweetmeats[]. The seed is about 5cm in diameter[].

An edible oil is obtained from the seed[, , , ].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The leaves are used to make baskets, brushes and for thatching[, , ].

Fibres from the plant are used as a stuffing material for mattresses etc[].

A paper is made from the fibres in the trunk[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a warm greenhouse. The seed can take 6 months or more to germinate[, ]. Stored seed should be soaked for 12 - 24 hours in warm water as soon as it is received and then sown in a warm greenhouse. It can be very slow to germinate. The seed has a short viability. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first two winters. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts, and give them some protection from the cold for their first few winters outdoors.