Palm Tree – The National Tree of Cambodia

April 13, 2021

The Palm Tree has been widely grown in Cambodia for centuries, especially in the countryside. The tree is commonly known as Borassus Flabellifer in the scientific name, but in Khmer, it is called “Derm Thnaot”. Due to its numerous benefits for Cambodian daily life, the King decreed it as the national tree of the country in 2005. The Palm Tree is also on the Khmer Riel note.

Cambodia Rural Area

This tree can reach a height of 98 feet (30 meters). All parts from the root to the top have many uses.

-The root is often used for herbal medicine for the treatment of fever.

-The trunk is used for making boats, in construction & buildings, fences, home & kitchen appliances, souvenirs, musical instruments, as well as tableware.

-Unripe fruit is often used as vegetables for cooking, a snack, or dessert. The fruit, when it is ripe, can be used for making jelly, cakes, and sweets.

-The flower can produce a lot of juice and sugar per tree. There are two types of juice: sweet and acrid juice. Sweet juice is the new juice that was taken from the blossoms. If you leave it for several hours at room temperature, it’ll end up acrid. The acrid juice is called “Teuk Thnot Ju / Acrid Palm Juice”. It is similar to wine and is kept without brewing. The sweet juice can be drank similarly to sugar cane juice or can be refined for palm sugar.

-The leaves have many uses such as for weaving mats, fans, baskets, thatching, wall, umbrellas, writing material (instead of paper), knots, decorative objects in religious ceremonies, wrapping and packing food.

-The edges of the palm fronds are very sharp. In fact, during the Khmer Rouge (1975-79), these were used to cut dissidents’ throats. Fortunately, we do not use the fronds for this purpose anymore.

A man go the top of Palm Tree

In Cambodia, you will see the Palm Tree grown everywhere, because everything on a palm tree is incredibly useful. If we compare palm trees to people, we see that it may be a kind of individual who gives benefits to society. Living up to its name, the palm tree is well-known in Cambodia and it can offer assistance to progress the lives of the Khmer. All Cambodians know this plant exceptionally well and the palm is profoundly infused into the hearts of Cambodians.