It can be truthfully said that no single plant gives so much to man in such a variety of ways and yet asks so little in return as the coconut palm.

Sri Lanka is indeed fortunate that the coconut palm (Cocos Nucifera L) is indigenous to the island and forms a major tree crop covering the bulk of the planted coastal areas of the island.

Coconut grows on sandy soils close to the sea and also thrives inland up to elevations 1, 600 feet. What strikes a visitor immediately as he nears Sri Lanka are the waving coconut palms whose geometric settings quickly indicate that they have been planted carefully, as indeed they have been.

Their majestic appearance, standing so tall, lends enhancement to the natural beauty of the coastal belt. Its beauty alone is not the reason why Sri Lankans are so endeared to this remarkable tree. Its value in terms of utility is truly enormous and therefore, truly the tree of life for Sri Lankans.