Hearts of palm
| Title | Info |
|---|---|
| Common name | Heart of palm |
| Scientific name | Arecaceae |
| Level | Family |
| Source | Dan L. Perlman |
| Economic botany | Food plants |
| Food plants | Vegetables |
| Keywords | Palmae |
| Date | 1998 |
Hearts of palm. Considered an exotic gourmet item, heart of palm is the inner core of a young palm tree; typically, the tree is killed by the harvesting process. This cash crop in Central and South America (especially Brazil, Ecuador, and Costa Rica) was originally obtained exclusively from wild palms, which did great damage to the palms and their native ecosystems. Today, some varieties that can resprout after they are cut down are grown in plantations, which is a clear improvement over harvesting in the wild.
