Today I planted a Caroline ivory nut palm aka Metroxylon amicarum, a magnificent looking palm tree that can grow up to 80 feet tall. It is endemic to Micronesia, found on the islands of Pohnpei and Chuuk. The outer layer of the ‘nuts’ look like snake scales similar to salak. The inner seed, about the size of a chicken’s egg is super solid and is used to make carvings and buttons. It’s also called vegetable ivory and is an inexpensive alternative to real ivory because it is a soft white and solid material, easy to polish and shine.
Originally posted on 2021-04-25, part of the daily planting journal behind Ha’a Chocolate’s food forest on Hawai’i Island.