Family: Arecaceae
Caryota urens, commonly known as the wine palm or jaggery palm, is a striking tropical tree native to regions of India, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia. It is easily identified by its large, bipinnate leaves that resemble fishtails and its towering, solitary gray trunk. Traditionally, this palm has been highly valued for its multiple uses: sweet sap is tapped to produce palm sugar (jaggery) and fermented into palm wine, its fibrous trunk is used for construction, and its seeds are sometimes crafted into beads.
While Caryota urens is not currently reported as naturalized or invasive in Hawaii, it does possess traits that are cause for concern and require careful consideration. These include a fast growth rate, the potential to produce many seeds, and the ability to thrive in disturbed areas. Furthermore, the palm’s sap can irritate skin, and its fruit contains toxic crystals. Because it is “monocarpic” and dies after a single flowering cycle, it can also create falling hazards. Due to these characteristics, further evaluation is needed to determine if it could negatively impact local ecosystems should it become established in Hawaii.
High Risk Traits:
- Naturalized: Escapes cultivation and establishes in wild habitats, specifically noted in Florida.
- Shade Tolerant: Capable of growing in forest understories and cool, shady valleys.
- Toxic/Irritant: Fruits and sap contain calcium oxalate crystals that cause skin burns and irritation.
- Animal Dispersed: Fleshy fruits are spread by birds, bats, and civets.
- Gut Survival: Seeds remain viable after passing through animal digestive tracts.
- Water Dispersed: Propagules can be spread via floods.
- Weedy Relatives: Close relatives, such as Caryota mitis, are known invasive weeds.
Low Risk Traits:
- Slow Maturity: Requires 15 to 25 years to reach reproductive age.
- Herbicide Sensitive: Effectively managed with Garlon 3A or Garlon 4.
- Defenseless: Lacks physical deterrents like spines, thorns, or burrs.
- Palatable Fodder: Leaves are non-toxic to large animals and used as elephant fodder.
- Non-Clumping: Solitary growth habit; does not produce suckers or spread vegetatively.
- Not Thicket-Forming: Typically occurs as scattered individuals rather than dense stands.
- Obligate Outbreeder: Requires external pollination and is not self-compatible
