Does your Sago Palm, aka ‘living fossils,’ have weird-looking fruit on them? Well, that is a sign that your Sago Palm has become an adult.
Thus, read on to uncover all details about the Sago Palm fruits, so you are on the safe edge.
Table of Contents Show
What Does Sago Palm Fruit Look Like?
After reaching maturity, Sago Palm produces woody round to oval-shaped fruits. They are known as Sago Palm fruit or Sago fruit.
The drupe-like Sago fruit is about 5 cm or 2 inches wide. They have scaled, rough, fibrous bark similar to palm trees.
The Sago Palm plant produces flowers then fruits only after reaching maturity. So, they take almost 10-15 years to mature before producing fruits.
Unlike the regular definition of fruits, Sago Palm fruits are not fleshy or juicy.
At first, the unripe fruit is bright green, which turns brownish after maturing. And each Sago Palm fruit contains one orange or red seed covered in a hard stonelike layer.
The seeds look like a small walnut which you can use to grow Sago Palms.
Is Sago Palm Fruit Edible?
No! Sago Palm fruit (Metroxylon sagu) is not edible. As Sago Palm is a cycad, they contain Cycasin and many other toxins.
Further, the toxin concentration is highest in the single-seeded fruit. So they are poisonous, and you should not eat it.
Eating Sago fruit may result in nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, and diarrhea. But in severe cases, Sago poisoning may result in fatal liver damage and even coma.
Therefore, you should not eat them. Also, keep your kids away from them.
But if you suscept your kids or someone has eaten Sago fruit, call hotline numbers immediately for help.
- National Poison Control Center: 1-800-222-1222
- Otherwise, call 911 or your local emergency number.
Having that said, they are not toxic to touch. But if you have sensitive skin, avoid touching them with bare skin.
Also, the leaf blades are quite sharp. So wear gloves while handling them.
Do Any Animals Eat Sago Palm Fruit?
If you are wondering whether your pets can eat Sago fruit, the answer is ‘No.’ However, in nature, some animals may munch on Sago Palm fruits.
As per the ASPCA, not only fruits but the entire Sago Palm plant is toxic to dogs, cats, and horses.
Accidental ingestion of the Sago Palm results in vomiting, drooling, diarrhea, bruising, and increased thirst in pets.
Further, the poisoning worsens and can cause liver failures and blood clotting. So, ensure to take your pets to the vet right away.
You can also call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at 888-426-4435.
But do you know rodents like Squirrels can munch on the leaves of Sago Palm?
Is Sago Palm Fruit Good?
Albeit Sago Palm is valuable for starchy pith, its fruits are no good besides propagation use.
But the seeds in Sago Palm fruits are used in Cancer treatments and tumors in laboratories. So, Sago Palm fruit alone is not any good.
In Japan, the seeds of Japanese Sago Palm are dried and ground into a powder. They are then mixed with brown rice and fermented into ‘Date Miso.’
That said, the recipe suggests caution is advised as the seeds are toxic. So, without the proper Sago separation, do not eat the seeds.
Editor’s Note
Harvest Seeds Off The Sago Fruit For New Plant!
After the Sago Palm fruits turn brown, cut them off and remove the outer layer. After that, crack open the stonelike layer to take out the seeds.
You can use these seeds to germinate and grow the new Sago Palm plant.
All The Best!
