OtterKnow Kids EncyclopediaCoconut trees are a type of palm tree that grows in warm, sandy places near the ocean. People call them the “tree of life” because every part of the tree is useful! They can grow up to 100 feet tall with long, feathery leaves at the very top.
Coconut trees have tall, smooth trunks that curve gently toward the sky. At the top, long feathery leaves called fronds spread out like a big green umbrella. Coconuts have a super hard shell on the outside, but inside they have sweet, refreshing water and yummy white fruit. The three dots on a coconut shell look like a funny face!
- Coconuts are not actually nuts at all!
- They are a type of fruit, more like a peach or a plum.
- The word “coconut” comes from an old Spanish word meaning “grinning face” because sailors thought the shell looked like a monkey face.
- When a coconut washes up on a new beach, it can sprout and grow into a brand-new tree!
