Cocos nucifera is a large palm tree that can grow up to 30 meters tall. It has a single, smooth, columnar trunk that is ringed by scars from old leaves. The leaves are pinnate, or feather-like, and can grow up to 6 meters long. The fruit of the coconut palm is a large, fibrous drupe that contains a single seed, or nut, that is surrounded by a layer of edible flesh and a hard, woody shell.