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A hybrid between Malayan Dwarf and Panama Tall, the Maypan Coconut was developed and released in 1974 by the Coconut Industry Board of Jamaica in response to the Lethal Yellowing epidemic.
Fun Fact: The ‘Maypan’ name was actually derived by taking the ‘May’ from the Malayan Dwarf and ‘Pan’ from the Panama Tall. The more you know! 😜
And although the Maypan Coconut has been found to be more susceptible to Lethal Yellowing than originally thought, its resemblance to the iconic Jamaican Tall has made it a popular choice for cultivation, especially in Florida.
That said, this grow guide will cover everything that you need to know about Maypan Coconuts:
Table of Contents
- Maypan Coconut Palm Tree Growth Habit & Fruit Production
- Maypan Coconut Palm Season (And When To Pick)
- Maypan Coconut Palm Disease Resistance
- Conclusion
Maypan Coconut Palm Tree Growth Habit & Fruit Production
The Maypan Coconut is considered a tall palm tree that will eventually grow to between 50 – 80 feet tall, with a canopy spread ranging between 20 – 25 feet.
Additionally, the tree’s annual growth rate can range anywhere between 1 – 2 feet. And while this is still relatively fast for a coconut palm tree, it is still slightly slower than one would expect from either a Jamaican Tall or Panama Tall.
The palm tree itself features a swollen trunk base that quickly transitions to a slender, crooked trunk and a canopy comprised of a full crown of palm fronds.
Honestly, the appearance is almost identical to that of a Jamaican Tall.
Furthermore, the palm’s petioles can either be bronze or green, depending on the sub-cultivar.
From a fruit production perspective, I have observed that Maypans usually begin producing coconuts once the palm tree is around 4 – 6 years old or has approximately 5 – 8 feet of grey wood.
And once they start producing, they just won’t stop! I have seen some Maypan Coconut Palms producing upwards of 100 – 200 coconuts annually once they reach 5 – 6 years old. Additionally, the fact that these coconuts are also rather large makes this level of production that much more impressive! 😎
Maypan Coconut Palm Season (And When To Pick)
Unlike traditional fruit trees, coconuts do not have a single defined season.
Instead, coconut palms produce all-year round. Although there are clear seasonal variations in overall fruit yield that fluctuate with climatic conditions.
In Florida, you can expect a Maypan’s overall yield to follow a pattern similar to this:
However, when exactly we harvest our coconuts—and subsequently what to look for—will ultimately depend on our end goal. For homeowners, this typically translates to either wanting coconut water or coconut copra (meat).
If you want the best coconut water, here are some of my best harvesting tips:
- You need to harvest the coconuts before they fall naturally. This should be done 6 – 7 months after flowering.
- Depending on the sub-cultivar, Maypan Coconuts should be smooth and either green or bronze.
- While the coconuts can be harvested when they are beginning to darken and become wrinklier, the water inside will be saltier and tangier, which can be overwhelming for some.
- Slap the coconut (seriously!).
- If you feel some vibrations and hear water sloshing around, that indicates that the inner shell hasn’t formed yet, and you’ll be able to open up the fruit without a machete.
- Note: Any coconut in the ‘Drinking Coconut’ stage can be opened without the need for a machete.
- The fruit feels heavy for its size.
What I particularly appreciate about the Maypan is that it seems to have inherited the ‘sweeter’ coconut water characteristic from the Panama Tall (at least based on the fruit that I’ve tasted).
And while I personally prefer the coconut water from a Fiji Dwarf the most, Maypan and Panama Tall are definitely tied for second place!
On the other hand, if you are growing coconuts for their meat, here are some of my best harvesting tips:
- The coconut should be harvested 11 – 12 months after flowering.
- At this stage, there will still be some salty/tangy water present. However, there will be substantially more copra formation (the white part we eat) compared to the jelly-like and tender copra found in the ‘Drinking Coconuts’ stage.
- From a color perspective, Maypan Coconuts should be brown and wrinkly.
- Knock on the coconut with your fist (seriously!).
- There should be a woody and hollow sound, indicating that the inner shell has hardened. You should also hear little to no water sloshing around in the fruit (due to the development of a thicker copra).
- At this stage, you’ll 100% need a machete to de-husk the coconut.
- Fun fact: If you allow the coconut to germinate, upon opening the nut, you’ll be greeted with a sprouted coconut that has a mildly sweet and earthy flavor with a fibrous, sponge-like texture (it’s VERY good!).
Regardless of when we decide to harvest, my go-to method for harvesting coconuts is by using a pole saw. However, please exercise great caution, as harvesting coconuts can be very dangerous.
In fact, coconuts kill more people than sharks every year.
Maypan Coconut Palm Disease Resistance
The main disease impacting coconut palms across Florida is Lethal Yellowing (LY). In a nutshell, LY is a disease that causes yellowing of leaves, premature fruit drop, and eventual death of the tree.
Once a coconut palm is infected with the disease, it cannot be cured.
Unfortunately, Maypan Coconut Palms are known to have low resistance to Lethal Yellowing.
This shouldn’t be too much of a surprise considering that Maypan is a hybrid between Panama Tall and Malayan Dwarf, both of which have low resistance to LY.
In fact, according to the University of Florida:
Long-term trials in Florida have revealed that ‘Malayan Dwarf’ and ‘Maypan’ are only slightly less susceptible to LY than the ‘Jamaican Talls’ these varieties were intended to replace.
As a result, if you want a lot of coconut trees and want to mitigate the risk of the trees developing LY, I would highly recommend looking into more resistant varieties such as the Fiji Dwarf.
Conclusion
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If you have any questions regarding anything mentioned in this grow guide, please comment them below! This way, others can also benefit from the answer to the same question. For any other questions or growing tips that you think may be helpful, feel free to use the contact form and drop me a line.
Thank you for reading! 🙂
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