Coconut Tree

Coconut Palms are perhaps one of the world's most iconic trees. Being found abundantly in coastal areas across the tropics and subtropics they have garnered a uniquely grand cultural and mythical importance. A complete description of the sociological aspects of the Coconut Tree, its fruit, its water and its wood would very well exceed the scope of this short description. 

Part of the reason why Coconut Palms are so prolific in coastal regions is that their fruit, the coconut, is very buoyant. So, they easily travel across oceans and introduce themselves. The Coconut palm has also been spread intentionally by oceanic people as they travelled from island to island. Its wood is particularly useful for constructing boats and along with its nutritious fruit and refreshing, electrolyte-rich coconut water, the Coconut has been invaluable to such communities.

Some local environmentalists do note that the Coconut Palm isn’t perhaps as endemic to Karachi as other coastal regions since Karachi doesn’t receive the same levels of rainfall. Where Coconut Palms need an excess of 1000mm of precipitation, Karachi typically receives around 250. Hence, Coconut Palms in Karachi require a great deal of artificial irrigation to fruit. This is the reason why these trees can only grow to about 40 feet tall while in more rainy climates they may exceed 100 feet tall.

Coconuts are known for their soft white flesh, known locally as malai (cream). This flesh is soft when the fruit is ripe, and harder and rather dry when more aged. Various food items derived from this khopra are used extensively in local confectioneries, especially in Mithai and Paan. You will also see Coconut flesh being sold by street vendors and by vendors in buses and other public transport. Coconut water is another vital derivative of the Cononut tree. Coconut water is found in young coconuts usually when they are young. Many vendors and connoisseurs can check how ripe a coconut is by shaking it to hear for water. The water is consumed widely for its myriad of vitamins, antioxidants, and electrolytes. In local medicine it is used extensively for recovery from mosquito borne diseases like Dengue and Malaria. Coconut oil is also used widely both in cooking as well as in the productions of soaps, hair oils and shampoos. Its use in traditional Islamic and Ayurvedic medicine is also extensive.

Culturally, Coconuts are a universal symbol of the tropics and feature prominently in the religions and cultures of this area. Coconuts are often used in Hindu rituals especially those of thanksgiving for fishing communities and to mark the end of the monsoon season. Coconuts also feature prominently in the origin myths of several communities such as those of the Maldives. In literature there are also references to this tree and its fruit in the Ramayana and in the One Thousand And One Nights.