The Acai Palm Tree
The scientific name for the Acai palm is (Eturpe Oleracea) which belongs to a classification of over 1000 different species of plants, and around 30 generic groups within that species. This family of plants is considered by many to be one of the most beneficial in the entire world. In general, various palm trees have been an excellent source of food, shelter, clothing and other important resources for centuries.
Looking at the Acai tree, at first glance you will notice it is slimmer than most palms, but also very tall, sometimes shooting up as high as 20-30 meters. It begins as a single seed and sprouts out a number of stems (usually around 4-8) from its root system. Each individual stem will grow into a large shoot, essentially become its very own palm. In some cases, there can be over 20 different palms created from one little seed.
The Acai palm is a very tough tree, able to weather the storms of the Amazon, and even be half submersed under water for months, without it affecting the health of the plant. The tree does bud, but these flowers aren’t anything spectacular to behold; mainly being purplish-brown color and quite small in nature.
Fruit is produced continually throughout the year, with the majority of trees able to yield 4-8 harvest-able clusters annually. However, the most productive time of the year usually occurs between July to December, when single branches can weigh over 5kg each. The fruit is produced in tight bunches, each holding hundreds of individual berries. The berries themselves start as a green color and mature into a very dark purple, averaging 1-2 cm in diameter.
The most common area that the Acai tree grows is in the state of Pará, Brazil, typically in the lower flood-lands of the Amazon. However, due to the recent popularity of the berry, more areas are being cultivated to grow the palm, as it is anticipated that demand will increase in the years ahead.
