Borassus palm is indigenous to Uganda. Widespread throughout the dry areas of tropical Africa but only where the water table is high. It is usually found in sandy well drained soil, sometimes coastal or at lower altitudes, often in dense stands. In Uganda, it's common in flood plains along rivers Semliki and Kafu, also in Palabek County of Kitgum District, 0-1,200 m. In Kampala, Borassus palm can be found within Makerere university, along Sir Apollo Kaggwa road, Nakasero hill road among other places.

A straight tall palm to 20 m with a swollen bole.

BARK: smooth grey, thickened above the middle, dead leaves remain on the young trunk, old trunks up to 80 cm across.

LEAVES: large fan shaped to 4 m long by 3 m across, deeply divided into leaflets, thorny at the base.

FLOWERS: male and female on different trees, male producing branched spikes up to 2 m carrying the pollen.

FRUIT: large, in bunches, round up to 15 cm diameter, orange-brown, cupped in the enlarged calyx, fibrous oily pulp around 3 seeds, each 8 cm brown, woody.

Medicine: roots, and leaves. http://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php id=borassus+aethiopum

Agroforestry: used to form an excellent firebreak, fruits and young leaves are source of fodder, used to make to bee hives.

The leaf midribs are used to make brooms, fish traps and nets. Ashes from the male flowers make a good potash.

The leaves are used for various purposes including for shelter, thatch, making mats and baskets.

Young leaves, before unfolding, can be split into strips and woven into thin mats, baskets and other household objects and mature leaves are used for thatch.

Edible: fruit can be eaten raw or cooked, ripe, fallen fruit can be peeled and the juicy pulp is squeezed in water to form a solution which is added to porridge during cooking in order to improve the flavor, immature seed contains a sweet juice which can be drunk like coconut water, young seedlings are eaten as a vegetable like asparagus, apical bud and young leaves are eaten raw or cooked, sap extracted from the stem can be made into a refreshing beverage, fermented to make palm wine (toddy) or vinegar, or the sugars can be extracted. http://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php id=borassus+aethiopum

An oil is extracted from the fruit.

A fiber obtained from the leaves is used for making nets.

The leaf petioles are used for making furniture, baskets, fences etc.

The wood is used for fuel and to make charcoal.

The wood is used in carpentry, construction, for telegraph poles, piers, and also for household articles.

The leafstalk endings can be soaked in water to provide fibers that are used as sponges or filters.