The coconut palm, or Cocos nucifera, is valued not just for its beauty, but also as a lucrative cash crop. Cultivated throughout the South Seas and Indian Ocean regions, it provides food, drink, shelter, transport, fuel, medicine, and even clothing for millions of people. The coconut palm lives for around 60 years, and produces around 70-80 nuts annually. The trees are sometimes 40-50 meters (130-160 feet) high.