The most common commercial trees are of the tall variety which first flower six years after planting and has a life span of seventy years. The dwarf variety grows to a height of thirty feet, will flower after three years and has a life span of about thirty years. Every coconut palm in the world is basically of the same species, which probably makes it most abundant single food tree in existence. The distribution of the coconut palm extends through most of the tropical regions of the world as far south as 27 and as far north as 25 . The tolerance of the coconut tree to salty environments and poor sandy soil is incredible.
Coconuts can float for thousands of miles until they are cast up onto a sandy shore.
After lying for a while, the coconut eventually sprouts into life. Roots sprout out of two of the eyes in the nut, plunging down into the sand, seeking water and nutrients. Through the third eye, a green shoot grows upwards towards the sunlight. Once established, the embryo palm grows rapidly, and within five to six years the coconut will have matured into a graceful palm tree. Almost every part of the tree is used for something.