Q&A for How to Identify Palm Trees

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What are the tall skinny palm trees called?

Michael Simpson, PhD
Registered Professional Biologist
Dr. Michael Simpson (Mike) is a Registered Professional Biologist in British Columbia, Canada. He has over 20 years of experience in ecology research and professional practice in Britain and North America, with an emphasis on plants and biological diversity. Mike also specializes in science communication and providing education and technical support for ecology projects. Mike received a BSc with honors in Ecology and an MA in Society, Science, and Nature from The University of Lancaster in England as well as a Ph.D. from the University of Alberta. He has worked in British, North American, and South American ecosystems, and with First Nations communities, non-profits, government, academia, and industry.

Michael Simpson, PhD

Registered Professional Biologist

Expert Answer

Very few palm species grow taller than 100 ft, although the Quindío wax palm (Ceroxylon quindiuense) can reach heights of up to 200 ft. There are also climbing palms, including several hundred species of rattan.

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Question

Do palm trees have trunks?

Michael Simpson, PhD
Registered Professional Biologist
Dr. Michael Simpson (Mike) is a Registered Professional Biologist in British Columbia, Canada. He has over 20 years of experience in ecology research and professional practice in Britain and North America, with an emphasis on plants and biological diversity. Mike also specializes in science communication and providing education and technical support for ecology projects. Mike received a BSc with honors in Ecology and an MA in Society, Science, and Nature from The University of Lancaster in England as well as a Ph.D. from the University of Alberta. He has worked in British, North American, and South American ecosystems, and with First Nations communities, non-profits, government, academia, and industry.

Michael Simpson, PhD

Registered Professional Biologist

Expert Answer

Most species produce frond-like leaves clustered at the top of a rigid stem that serves the same function as a tree trunk. However, there are several species that are trunkless, such as the cat palm (Chamaedorea cataractarum).

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Question

How do I identify a small palm tree?

Michael Simpson, PhD
Registered Professional Biologist
Dr. Michael Simpson (Mike) is a Registered Professional Biologist in British Columbia, Canada. He has over 20 years of experience in ecology research and professional practice in Britain and North America, with an emphasis on plants and biological diversity. Mike also specializes in science communication and providing education and technical support for ecology projects. Mike received a BSc with honors in Ecology and an MA in Society, Science, and Nature from The University of Lancaster in England as well as a Ph.D. from the University of Alberta. He has worked in British, North American, and South American ecosystems, and with First Nations communities, non-profits, government, academia, and industry.

Michael Simpson, PhD

Registered Professional Biologist

Expert Answer

If you are trying to identify a palm that has a trunk, check whether that trunk is smooth or rough in texture, or whether it has distinct remnants of where previous generations of leaves detached as it was growing. Estimating height might also help you narrow down the list of possible species.

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Question

What shape are palm tree leaves?

Michael Simpson, PhD
Registered Professional Biologist
Dr. Michael Simpson (Mike) is a Registered Professional Biologist in British Columbia, Canada. He has over 20 years of experience in ecology research and professional practice in Britain and North America, with an emphasis on plants and biological diversity. Mike also specializes in science communication and providing education and technical support for ecology projects. Mike received a BSc with honors in Ecology and an MA in Society, Science, and Nature from The University of Lancaster in England as well as a Ph.D. from the University of Alberta. He has worked in British, North American, and South American ecosystems, and with First Nations communities, non-profits, government, academia, and industry.

Michael Simpson, PhD

Registered Professional Biologist

Expert Answer

Well, that depends on the species. In the arrangement we call pinnate, the leaflets occur on opposite sides of an elongated leaf stalk, so the leaf is shaped like a feather. Palmate palm leaves also heave leaflets, but they radiate outwards from the end of the leaf stalk, resembling a fan. A variation on these types is costapalmate, where the leaflets are arranged like a fan but can also grow from either side of the tod end of the leaf stalk.

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How do I determine the age of a palm tree?

Bess Ruff, MA
Environmental Scientist
Bess Ruff is a Geography PhD student at Florida State University. She received her MA in Environmental Science and Management from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2016. She has conducted survey work for marine spatial planning projects in the Caribbean and provided research support as a graduate fellow for the Sustainable Fisheries Group.

Bess Ruff, MA

Environmental Scientist

Expert Answer

Determining the age of a palm tree can be quite difficult since a palm tree doesn't have the ring structure that is used to date most other tree types. If you know the type of palm tree you want to know the age of, then you can find information on its lifespan and growth rates to determine its approximate age.

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Question

Do palm trunks need to have fronds cut off?

Community Answer

No, the palm tree does not need its fronds cut off unless you are trying to maintain a certain size or shape to your tree. If you do cut off the fronds, make sure to do so carefully to prevent damaging the tree.

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Question

What kind of palm tree has hard and sharp fronds?

Community Answer

Probably not a palm, but a cycad. A sago palm is actually a cycad, not a palm.

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Question

Which palm plants (potted and kept inside) are poisonous to dogs and cats?

Community Answer

Sago palms have a toxin that can cause liver failure in cats and dogs.

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Question

What is the name of the large palm trees with a wide trunk and long palms?

Community Answer

There are a lot of palm trees that are very large with wide trunks. These include date palms, coconut palms, Guadalupe palms and many more. You will want to use other attributes like fruit, fronds and other characteristics to narrow down the particular type.

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Question

My palm tree has a hairy trunk. I can't seem to find any info on it, can you tell me what kind it is?

Community Answer

It sounds like it could be an "old man" palm. They are quite rare. Do a Google Image Search on it to see if it resembles yours.

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Question

What are the long narrow things growing from middle of a palm tree?

Community Answer

There are very likely flowers, which can come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. If you know the type of palm, you can look up pictures online to see if the flower matches the description for the specific variety.

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A palm fruit dropped to the ground from the top of a tree that is 45 m tall. How long does it take it to reach the ground?

Community Answer

Gravity causes acceleration of falling objects at 9.8 meters/sec. In the first second, the fruit will fall 9.8 meters. In the second second, the fruit will fall 19.6 meters. In the third second, the fruit will fall 29.4 meters. And so on.

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Question

What kind of fruit grows on palm trees?

Idabelle

Community Answer

A few fruits that grow in palm trees include but are not limited to coconuts, dates, açai berries, and pygmy coconut.

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