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Palms

Natural Resources Comittee – Palm Trees at Maple Leaf

The Palm Tree

The quintessential image of a tropical paradise, the palm tree is much more significant than you might think. At the sight of a palm tree, most people imagine a sunny beach setting  — but these sturdy plants can also grow in a variety of other environments.

Here are some things you may not have known about these tropical beauties:  There are over 2,500 species of palm trees. The Arecaceae family of plants includes wonderfully diverse species found throughout the world, from the desert to the rainforest.

Not all palm trees are “trees,” and not all plants called “palms” are truly palms.  These evergreen plants can grow in the form of shrubs, trees or long, woody vines called lianas. Plants like the yucca palm, Torbay palm, sago palm and traveler’s palm are not part of the Arecaceae family.

Palm trees have two different types of leaves: palmate and pinnate.  Palmate leaves, like hands, grow in a bunch at the end of a stem. Pinnate leaves are like feathers, growing all along either side of a stem.

Palm trees are important religious symbols.   In the Bible, the people of Jerusalem greeted a triumphant Jesus just one week before his death and resurrection, a tradition now known and celebrated as Palm Sunday the week before Easter. Palms are mentioned dozens of times in both the Bible and the Quran. In Judaism, palms represent peace and plenty.

Lots of staples come from palm trees.  Coconuts are an obvious product of palm trees, but did you know that dates, betel nuts and acai fruit all come from palm trees as well? Palm oil, as its name indicates, also comes from the fruit of the oil palm tree.

Palms grow best in USDA Zones 8-10.   Check this link ( http://www.mnn.com/your-home/organic-farming-gardening/stories/how-to-use-the-usdas-planting-zone-map) to find out if the plants would be viable where you live.

The Quindio wax palm (Ceroxylon quindiuense), Colombia’s national tree is the tallest-growing species of palm growing up to 197 feet tall.

The coco de mer palm tree has the largest seeds of any plant on Earth.  The seeds can be as large as 20 inches in diameter and as heavy as 66 pounds.

Palm trees have a history with humans as old as the first societies.  Archeological finds have shown that the date palm was commonly used in Mesopotamian society, for food and other purposes. Romans gave palm branches as a symbol of triumph to the triumphant champions of games and wars.

Have you ever heard of palm wine?  Also called “kallu,” palm wine is a common alcoholic spirit in regions of Asia and Africa. It can be created from coconut palms, date palms, the Chilean wine palm, and other species.

Though many species of palms are sturdy and plentiful, as many as 100 species are endangered due to deforestation and unsustainable cultivation practices, such as for the heart of palm, which comes from a part of the tree that cannot be regrown. The rarest palm tree is the Hyophorbe amaricaulis; the only one left currently lives at the Botanic Gardens of Curepipe in Mauritius.

Text extracted from:   http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/stories/10-surprising-facts-about-palm-trees

Palms Native to Florida
Native palms are those that grow naturally in a certain area and have adapted to that area’s climate, fauna, and surrounding environment. 

Florida has the largest variety of native palm trees in the continental US.  Hawaii has the largest variety of palms of all 50 states.  North Carolina has the most northerly-growing palms (in natural habitat).  Following is a list of palms native to Florida:

* * Cabbage Palm (Sabal palmetto)  or (Livistona chinensis). Florida State Palm. Height: 40-50 feet. Spread: 15-25 feet. USDA Hardiness Zones 8B through 11. Cold tolerance 10 F.

* * Dwarf Palmetto Palm (Sabal minor). Height: 6-10 feet. Spread: 6-10 feet. USDA Hardiness Zones 8B through 11 Cold tolerance 5 F.

* * Scrub Palmetto (Sabal etonia). Like Sabal minor, but with arching leaves. : Height: 6-8 feet. Spread: 6-10 feet. USDA Hardiness Zones 8B through 11. Cold tolerance 5 F.

* * Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens).  Fruit used to make prostrate supplements. Height: 6-8 feet. Spread: 10-15 feet. USDA Hardiness Zones 8B through 11 Cold tolerance 15 F.

* * Needle Palm (Rhapidophyllum hystrix). Height 6 feet. Spread: 4-6 feet Most cold hardy palm in the world. USDA Hardiness Zones 8B through. Cold tolerance -15 deg F.

* * Royal Palm (Roystonea regia or elata). Tallest native palm.  Height: 50-80 feet. Spread: 15-25 feet. (USDA Hardiness Zones 10 through 11. Cold tolerance 28F.

* * Florida Thatch Palm (Thrinax radiata). Native to Florida Keys. Height: 15-20 feet. Spread: 10-15. USDA Hardiness Zones 10 through 11. Cold Tolerance 26F.

* * Key Thatch Palm (Leucothrinax morrisii)    Also native to the Keys; used to be (Thrinax morrisii). Thatch palm (Hemithrinax hooker f). Height: 15-20 feet. Spread: 10-15. USDA Hardiness Zones 10 through 11. Cold tolerance 26F.

* * Silver Thatch Palm (Coccothrinax argentata)  Found in the Keys, bluish leaves. Height: 15-20 feet. Spread: 10-15. USDA Hardiness Zones 10 through 11. Cold tolerance 26F.

* * Buccaneer Palm (Pseudophoenix sargentii)  Native to Long Key and Elliot Key; slow growing. Height: 10-15 feet. Spread: 10 feet. USDA Hardiness Zones 10 through 11. Cold tolerance 26F.

* * Pouritis Palm (Acoelorraphe wrightii)    Native to the Everglades. Paurotis Palm Acoelorrhaphe wrightii. Height: 15-25 feet. Spread: 10-15 feet. USDA Hardiness Zones 10 through 11. Cold tolerance 22 F.

Palms in the Park
There are over 15 different types (see our photo gallery) of palm trees in the Park. The most prevalent are: Queens, Cabbage, Canary Island Date, Foxtail, Royals and Bismarck palms. As with most plants, palms are subject to many diseases as shown here. 

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Our Gallery – Palms inthe Park

 

Acai berry palm

Alexander palms

Areca palm

Bamboo palm

Banana Palm

Bismarck palm

Bottle Palm

Cabbage aka Sabal palm cluster

Canary Island Date palm

Cardboard palm

Cat palm

Chinese Fan palm

Chinese fan palm

Christmas Palm (mini-royal)

Coontie palm

Dragon palm

Fan palm

Feathered foxtail

Fishtail palm

Foxtail palm

Paurotis palm

Pindo Palm

Pindo jelly palm

Pindo palm

Pygmy date palm

Queen palm

Royal (Cuban) palms

Sago palm

Saw palmetto

Sylvestre palm

Triagle Palm

Overlays

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