Summary: Nypa fruticans (nipa palm) is a plant in the Arecaceae family. Verdica documents 0 traditional uses, 0 phytochemical compounds, and 0 herb-drug interactions for this species.
Nipa Palm or Nypa fruticans, a native to the coastlines and estuarine habitats of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, is an unusual palm tree because its trunk grows beneath the ground and only its leaves and flower stalks grow above the surface. The trunk can reach up to 45 cm in diameter and the leaves can each be up to 6 m long.The inflorescence of this palm is globose and comprised of female flowers at the tip and male flowers at the lower branches. It is edible and also yields sugary sap used mainly to make alcoholic beverages, syrup, sugar, and vinegar. The seed is eaten raw; it is harvested when fruits are immature. Plant parts have medicinal uses and specifically used in traditional medicine to treat toothache, headache, ulcers, and centipede bites. The leaves are used for thatching and making baskets and mats, and considered to be of superior quality than coconut thatch. Nipa palm can be grown from seeds or by dividing off suckers.
| Sunlight | Full sun to bright indirect light |
| Watering | Regular — keep soil moist; increase in summer |
| Soil | Well-drained, sandy to loamy |
| Hardiness Zone | USDA 8-12; cold-hardy palms to zone 7 |
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