The Coconut Tree

Hi, how are you guys?

(The photo was edited using the photoleap app)

I hope you are safe and healthy. So today I thought of coming to you with a very beautiful post.

So guys, today I am talking about The Coconut Tree.

Nature itself is a wonderful illusion. Trees, vines, ganges, streams, animals, creatures have also contributed to beautify this environment. So today I wanted to share with you some information about a plant that does a great service to nature.

No matter how many trees there are around us, there is hardly any other tree as closely related to human life as the coconut tree. It is also known as 'Kap Ruka' if we talk about how many benefits we have from the coconut tree, which has made a huge contribution to meet the various needs of man since ancient times.

The main reason is that almost all parts of the coconut tree can be used for various human needs. Different parts of the coconut tree are used for many tasks, especially for preparing daily meals, building dwellings, and making various handicrafts.

In addition to this, coconut oil, which is used in the preparation of food, in the preparation of various medicines, in the preparation of cosmetics, is also created using coconuts.

Coconut tree is a plant that likes sandy soil and it grows very well in areas with saline soil. The coconut tree needs between 1,500 and 2,500 mm of annual rainfall in well-drained areas. A coconut plant also needs high humidity for maximum growth. According to research, the coconut tree needs a warm environment to grow. That is the reason why coconut trees are not usually seen in regions with cold weather and the coconut trees that are there are not producing enough.

Even in places like Bermuda where the environment is not warm enough, coconut trees can be seen to some extent, but they are in a very poor condition in terms of bearing fruit. Coconut trees are also not seen growing at their best in areas that are heavily covered with other plants.

The nature of the coconut tree

A non-branching plant, the coconut tree has a fibrous root system and is considered the only species of the cocos genus.
The coconut tree usually grows to a height of about 30 meters and has thin elongated leaves. Once the leaves of the coconut tree dry, they easily fall from the trunk. A coconut tree bears its first fruits after 6 to 10 years of planting and it takes 15 to 20 years to get the maximum yield.

The leaves of the coconut tree are woven to cover the roofs of houses, coconut husks are used to make fertilizers, ornaments, brooms, to hold water in flower beds, and to store water. The shell of the coconut is also used to create various ornaments, coconut spoons, coconut cups, etc. Also, coconut milk is used to make various foods, oils and medicines.

Coconut water is also used to make drinks, food and medicine.

In addition to this, the trunk of the coconut tree is used to create coconut rafts, wooden furniture such as chairs, tables, and the root of the coconut tree is also important to create various decorative materials.

Apart from this, coconut wine can be made from coconut flowers, and things like coconut treacle and coconut jaggery can also be made.

Benefits of coconut tree

Almost all parts of the coconut tree have various uses for man. It is for this reason that the coconut tree is called Kapruka. Coconut tree is also called Kalpa tree in Sanskrit. It means 'the tree that gives thought and sought resources'. In addition, in Malay it is known as 'tree of a thousand uses' and in Filipino as 'tree of life.

The white pulp inside the coconut can be eaten and the liquid called 'coconut water' can also be used as a drink. Especially now many countries package coconut water and export it to other countries. Unripe coconuts are often used for that and the nuts of the King Coconut tree, another species of the coconut plant, are often used for this purpose.

In addition, well-ripened coconuts are ground and used as 'coconut milk' to prepare various foods. In countries like Sri Lanka, well-ripened coconuts are used to prepare foods like 'Coconut Sambolaya', which is a food we cannot live without. Desiccated coconut is also used to decorate various desserts and also produce desiccated coconut and powdered coconut milk.

Vinegar can be called another very important product related to coconut.

The use of coconut shells to prepare charcoal, for various handicrafts, and instead of wood in the use of wood stoves, can be seen widely in Asian countries where coconut cultivation is mostly done, including Sri Lanka.

Coconut leaves are important for creating things like mats that people used.

Cultural and religious aspects associated with the coconut tree

In many Asian countries, including Sri Lanka, the coconut tree, especially the coconut and its related products, has a very important place culturally and religiously.

During weddings and funerals in Sri Lanka (mostly in the past) the young leaves (gopkola) obtained from the coconut plant are used to prepare pantheon-like designs. And on all these occasions and at any other auspicious moment, lamps are also lit using coconut oil.

Coconut oil is also used for lighting lamps, which is a major form of worship in Buddhism, which is the religion of the majority of the country. Coconut oil is essential for lighting lamps especially on special days like Vesak and Pozon. Also, coconuts are used for beating coconuts in kovil, which is a major part of Sri Lankan culture.

In the Hindu religion, coconut is used for many rituals and the use of colored coconut in various festivals is an element that can be seen in Hindu culture. On many important occasions in Hinduism, a coconut can be broken to seek God's blessings. In the statues of Goddess Lakshmi, who is considered to be the goddess of wealth and goodness in Hinduism, she can be seen holding a coconut in her hand.

Not only in Sri Lanka, but also in foreign countries, cultural facts related to coconut can be seen. As an offering to the dead, the people of northern Philippines split the coconut in the middle and fill the two halves with sweetened rice and perform the puja.

A ritual of offering flowers, rice and scented coconut leaves in a package can be found in Indonesia. In India, fishermen are used to throwing coconuts in the sea for the purpose of getting a good harvest of fish, regardless of religion.

Major Coconut Growing Countries

Indonesia is the world's largest producer of coconuts, producing about 15 million metric tons of coconuts per year, and the second largest producer of coconuts in the world is the Philippines. The Philippines, which has been in the first place among the countries that produce the most coconuts for decades, had to drop down to the second place in 2010 due to the aging of many of the coconut trees in the country and the damage to the coconut plantations due to various typhoons.

Accordingly, in 2010, Indonesia became the world's largest producer of coconuts, and it is also the world's largest producer of coconut oil and copra. About 25% of Indonesia's cultivated land is planted with coconuts, and between 25% and 33% of the country's total population is engaged in jobs related to the coconut industry.

In India, coconut cultivation is widely practiced in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Gujarat.

According to recent studies conducted by the Coconut Development Board of India, Tamil Nadu produces nearly 34% of the country's total coconut production. Apart from that, the state of Karnataka contributes 25%, Kerala 24%, Andhra Pradesh 7% etc. to the total coconut production in the country and in addition to the above mentioned states, coconut cultivation is successfully carried out in many other states.

Oman can be called the main coconut producing country among the Middle Eastern countries. Coconut plantations can also be found in the Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea and Red Sea regions. Even the letters of Ibn Battuta, a traveler who lived in the past, mention coconut cultivation in Oman.

At present, coconut cultivation is also seen in the Middle Eastern countries, including Oman, for the decoration of the beaches. When it is not possible to procure enough coconut trees in those countries, coconut saplings are also imported from other countries. Countries in the Middle East have acted to impose strict regulations on the importation of grown coconut trees considering the effects of insect damage on native plants.

Sri Lanka is also one of the main coconut producing countries and Sri Lanka claims nearly 15% of the world's total coconut production. As of 2017, coconuts have been cultivated in about 12% of the country's total land, i.e. 409,244 hectares. Since the British period, coconut cultivation in Sri Lanka has been given a lot of attention, so several institutions like the Coconut Development Board, the Coconut Cultivation Board and the Coconut Research Institute have been established for the betterment of coconut cultivation.

In addition to the aforementioned Middle East and Asian countries, coconut plantations can also be found in countries such as the United States of America and Australia. Incidental coconut plantations are common in coastal areas of the state of Florida, USA. They are believed to have been formed from coconuts that washed ashore with the waves. In Australia, coconut plantations are common along the northern coast.

So, as usual, I request all of you very lovingly to protect this plant as well as the entire nature.

So guys, I will stop here for today. So I will say goodbye for today, hoping to meet again with a beautiful post with a beautiful place.

So as always,I am very thankful to all of you who read this post of mine, to the owner of the you tube channel who got the information to refer to the steemit platform, and the everybody who encouraged me with words and gave votes and comments for my posts.

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