Those aren't actually coconut palms, they are different fruiting palms that make fruit that has a somewhat similar taste to coconuts. The fruit doesn't look like coconut palms and neither do the palms themselves, but that doesn't mean they aren't any less beautiful though!

I'm not familiar with the term Brazilian Wine Palm. I think you might be talking about a Jubaea chilensis (I know it as a Chiliean Wine Palm). They don't do well in Florida because they like cooler climates like those in the western US (or in Chile where they are native). They are VERY cold hardy though and also very beautiful!

Quito coconut palms (Parajubaea cocoides) don't actually make fruit as far as I know but they look a lot like coconut palms which is what makes them very common for gardeners who want the tropical look but live in climates a bit too cool for coconut palms.

Beccariophoenix alfredii is a palm really well known for being a "coconut look a like". It's only hardy into the mid to upper 20s so it's not significantly cold hardy, but it can handle cooler summers than coconut palms and those few degrees of cold tolerance make a big difference in climates that do get an occasional freeze every one in a while.

Good luck!
-Alex

Alex,

I appreciate your taking the time to provide the info here for me. You surely know quite a bit about these coconut look alike tree varieties. According to the you tube video, the fruit of some of these palm trees do taste like the coconut fruit. It's quite amazing really. Here's the link to the video if you're interested:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVozkqjybeg

You're right, it was the Chilean Wine palm and not the Brazilian. Somehow, I must have got confused between Chile and Brazil .. lol. It seems the Chilean wine palm will take as many as up to 12 or was it 20 years to produce fruit? That is a looong time to wait!

By the way, does the Beccariophoenix alfredii that you've mentioned produce coconut tasting fruit too?

I'm now more interested in getting a miniature coconut tree which will produce fruit at 6ft tall which is what I've heard so far. The problem is I don't know where to begin sourcing that out. Any ideas?

Both the quito coconut and the chilean wine palm are genetically very closely related to the coconut. However, neither will grow in Florida. The quito coconut is called parajubaea cocoides, and it's better suited to the cooler coastal climates of California. It does have one cousin called parajubaea sunkha that will grow in the parts of Florida that are 9b and above. It also has a third cousin called parajubaea torallyi, but that one has not been proven to grow well in Florida because it will rot in the warm Summer rains.

All of the above palms produce coconuts the size of golf balls, complete with three eyes, white coconut flesh and filled with coconut milk. But you will need to eat a dozen just to get the same amount of food that you'd get from a single coconut.

Axel,

Thank you so much for sharing this info. This is a truly amazing plant. I did a quick google search on it and found it on e-bay. I like that they can grow here in FL. Even if it means the fruit is tiny, it is ok. I think a regular coconut fruit is a huge fruit to eat anyway.

Do you own any of the plants you've talked about? If you do, it would be nice if you could share some pictures of your palm trees?
You're sure fortunate to be in 10a. I bet you can grow any tropical plants you wish there. There is one plant I really would like for it to grow here and that is the illusive Rambutan tree. I know it's impossible to grow them to fruition ..., yet I have three of them (all potted). If I was in your planting zone, they would surely thrive better there.

Anyway, thanks again for replying to my post and providing me with such useful information :) When I get this palm to plant, I most certainly will post pictures it.

I grow all of the parajubaea, in fact, it's the backbone of my edible palm collection. Our 10a zone is too cool to grow rambutans because we don't get enough Summer heat. There is more to a climate than just the USDA zones, you need plenty of heat units. Those are in short supply in California's coastal zones. Even USDA 11a down in Southern California doesn't support rambutans that well.

here is one of the nicest looking sunkhas growing in an IPS member's garden in Escondido. I don't have a photo of mine handy right now.