USVI native plant
Coccothrinax alta
a guest blog by Briyanna Owens
Coccothrinax alta is a native plant of both the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
It is commonly known as teyer plam, broom palm or silver palm and has other common names as well. Typically it grows in moist to
dry forests at lower elevations and on rocky soils from the sea level up
to about 400 meters of altitude. Due to this and its tolerant resistance to saltiness, it can
also withstand the salty winds and is planted in gardens close to the sea. It is a species
with relatively fast growth that quickly distinguishes it from other species. Trees are
usually 2-6 meters tall, but some can reach up to 15 meters. Its palmate leaves grow
between 60-90 centimeters long and 70-110 centimeters broad. The leaves have a silky, silvery white coating beneath
them. The tree is extremely resistant to high winds and can come through hurricanes almost unscathed.
Traditionally in the Virgin Islands, its leaves have been used for woodworking and crafts activities such as making roof thatch, bags, ropes, baskets, brooms, hats, and other common handicrafts. Historically, webbing from the leaf sheath was used to strain cassava. Another major component that contributes to the uses of the Coccothrinax alta are its fruits. When its fruits are visible and ripe, they appear a dark purplish-black color and have been highly valued and traditionally used as a fabric dye.
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| Teyer palm fruit, UVI St. Thomas campus, Feb 2021, (c) Alice Stanford |
Works Cited
- Coccothrinax alta. Monaco Nature Encyclopedia, 10 Feb. 2018, https://www.monaconatureencyclopedia.com/coccothrinax-alta/?lang=en
- Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine - University of the Virgin Islands. Native moist forests plants. Google Sites https://sites.google.com/a/myuvi.net/ccam/vi-plants-at-a-glance/useful-plants-in-vi-habitats/native-moist-forests-plants.
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