African Oil Palm
Elaeis guineensis
- Native to:
- Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, DR Congo, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guam, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gulf of Guinea Is., Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Palau, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan-South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda
Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Arecaceae
- Genus:
- Elaeis
- Species:
- Elaeis guineensis
- USDA Symbol:
- ELGU
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Tree
- Height:
- 2000 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Low
- Bloom Colors:
- cream, yellow
- Food Forest:
- Contains edible parts
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, small mammals
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- fertile, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 4.0 - 7.0 (acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- tolerates poor drainage
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- Prefers alluvial soils in native habitat
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- None required
- Germination Time:
- 60–120 days
- Notes:
- Seeds require warm temperatures (30-35°C) and consistent moisture; germination is slow and erratic without heat treatment.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI