Cocos nucifera? full sun outside or north window inside?

I was just given this palm. I think it's a cocos nucifera or typical coconut palm from what I've seen of pictures. It's a beautiful plant, and I want to make sure that I give it the care it needs from the start. I was planning on repotting it in the bigger pot it's sitting in, using the free compost from the city as soil. It's pretty fine particle compost. Should I mix it with sand? I was also planning on putting it in full direct sunlight outside, because I only have north facing windows with slight overhangs in my place. Is this a good option? Please don't let me kill this plant if you know better!

Oh, also I am going to be moving to rainy Seattle, WA in the summer. I was hoping to put this plant in a south facing window up there when I move. Will this be alright for the plant, or am I better to find the plant a home here and not take it with me? I would love it to go with me if possible!

I'm not sure about what kind of palm you have there but it could be cocos. Take a look at some of these photo's of cocos nucifera in Plant Files: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/55280/ and see what you think.

and here are two more pic's: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/60051/

It looks like it could be, but it could be another plant too. It was kept indoors in a pot, near a sunny window. It might be a palm that looks like a cocos nucifera when young, but can withstand more shade. It's really hard to know for sure from pictures.

If it is the coconut palm which it looks like to me, looks like a coconut at the base of your tree: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg043

It requires full sun. Not too fussy about needing sand, I guess it will grow in potting soil and it loves water!

Absolutely full sun, and tons of heat and humidity.
These are famous for just plain NOT wanting to grow indoors - take it from someone who's tried! (Ü)

LOL Nan ... I've never heard of one surviving for very long indoors!

I have seen the coconut palms for sale in our Wal-Mart here and they won't even survive winters in this part of Florida! Way too far North for them!

Yep, I even tried bottom heat and lots of humidity - it survived a while after I brought it in, but no long - I was Soooo disappointed!

Yours is really a lovely specimen, jlisiewski, (I'm envious!) I hope it thrives for you!

I know this one has survived and done well for over a year in the office. The office isn't a sunroom or anything either. It was just up against an east facing window with buildings blocking some of the light. It was never very warm in the office either. I always needed a sweatshirt there. Do you think that the palm I have might be a variety that needs less light and heat? Is there such a variety that looks like cocos nucifera? It is growing out of a coconut. I was hoping to keep it indoors after I move to Seattle--otherwise I'm afraid I'll have to find another home for it.

I just found these comments on growing coconut palm as a house plant, maybeyou can scroll through and read some of the comments: http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/palms/msg112322495126.html

There is another type that also grows from a 'nut', but I can't for the life of me remember what it is. Maybe Betel Nut palm??
There's bound to be a few more, but I don't know which, sorry.

How large is the 'nut' that yours is growing from?
(The one I had was probably a little less than baseball sized - much smaller than the size of the coconut.)
I had that one, too, and it did do VERY well in my south window at home.

My true coconut palm did pretty well for about a year, then began to deteriorate.
Yours definitely doesn't appear to be deteriorating, so maybe it *is* some other type.

Whatever it is....I envy you!

Yeah, I think there are quite a few that grow from a nut ... so it is possible that Jlisiewsski's tree is a different one. Since it's done so well and looks so good for a year or more in low light and low humidity, I suspect it's not the coconut palm that I was linking to earlier.

I'm sure it's a cocos. It's a football sized coconut it's growing from. I'm trying to take care of it. I will give it away to someone who can put it in a better environment if it starts to decline at all. So far, it seems like it's a pretty hardy specimen.

Football sized? Whew, I'd agree, then, that it is a cocos.
When I tried the cocos, the coconut was about the size of the average coconut you see in the produce sections of grocery stores.

When re-potting, I would mix the compost with some gritty sand, as that's what they're accustomed to growing in.

It's really lovely, and again, I'm so envious!
I *really* hope it continues to thrive for you:)