Although most familiar in its natural habitat lining tropical, sandy beaches, the Coconut will also grow in warm inland areas and on near-coastal tropical tablelands up to about 1000 meter altitude.

The secret of its success seems to be  warm to hot, humid climate and access to underground water. Coconuts are widely planted in coastal districts from the tropics to warm-temperate region but they rarely fruit in the subtropics or further south.

There are numerous varieties of Coconuts suited to different climatic zones, bearing nuts of different sizes and being tall or dwarf-growing. Coconut Palms make an excellent street tree (although the plants tend to lean) and are widely planted in gardens of the tropics.

Their ability to withstand severe coastal conditions is unparalleled in palms. Coconuts germinate readily in warm temperatures and their subsequent growth is quite fast. They respond strongly to the use of nitrogenous fertilisers.