Florida Palm Trees

THE HEAVENLY 

FLORIDA PALM TREES

by Fereydoun Kian

You will see the reference about the Simpsons in a minute (go to the bottom of the page if you need to, but, for now, let's talk about these wonderful Florida Palm trees: I also will tell you about a beautiful poison and ask you something not many people know--Aphrodisiac Palms !


Of the 2700 or so species of recognized palms present in the world today, only a mere twelve occur naturally in Florida. If one considers extending the range to the whole of the United States, the number of American natives rises to a hefty fourteen.  So let's thank the land of OZ, Florida for being the first prize winner (Palme D'Or is fine)for offering such a wonderful array of Palms--from the Sea the Shining Sea (sorry, California!)

Let's zoom in on heavenly Palm Trees in our Emerald State, aka the Sunshine State. The Palm trees stand tall, lay down on the beach, and do the limbos to let you lied down on them.  They are perfect for hammocks and call out for cold drinks.... Since Palm trees always represent fun, enjoy them in sunrise or the sunset.

The 3 best known palm trees in Florida are Royal Palms, Sabal Palms, and Silver Palms 

1- Royal Palm

The Florida Royal palm is an aristocratic palm tree unrelated to non of the European royalties.  It's native to Caribbean and South Florida, and although they don't grow in the wild 


I haven't seen much of the Royal Palms in the wild.  Even in the Everglades, where they have a whole section devoted to Royal Palms, visitors will see much more Gumbo Limbo than the Royal Palms. (this whole section in Everglades is more of a Limboville--something  Everglades' custodians may want to revisit.) The endangered Royal Palm thrives now a days only in cities.

Royal Palm has a beautiful crown-shaft of bright green pinnate leaves. There are usually 12-18 leaves in a crown and can reach up to 120 feet.The Royal Palms are often Tall, Dark (green) and Handsome. The Cement gray trunks are wider at base and often blends in with buildings and that's why they are so popular in new architectural designs (and since they don't shed leaves or cover their work of arts, architects love the Royal Palms).


The Royal palms can easily lose their leaves in high winds.  The horns are green on the outer side and white on the inner side. The leaves are pinnate, bright green, and can grow to almost twenty feet in length.  The fragrance of the small, creamy flowers can be detected from 100 feet away. Fruit are purple and around one half inch in diameter--See Homer in Trouble below.

2- Sabal Palm:

The sabal palm (Sabal palmetto) is the most widely distributed palm in Florida. It grows in almost any soil and has many uses, including food, medicine, and landscaping. 


On the other hand, a distant cousin (Sago Palm) although not very pet friendly, nevertheless it's very popular in hi fashioned homes (All I can say about this paradox is to recommend you watch the old "Beautiful Poison" of Warren  Beatty).  Now that we are here, let's chew on something together: Which palm tree do you think has aphrodisiac properties? 




The 1953 Florida legislature designated the Sabal Palm as the State Tree, and the 1970 legislature mandated that the Sabal Palm should replace the cocoa palm on the state seal.

3- Thacht Palm (also as a Silver Palm):

Or Florida Thatch Palm is native to southern Florida and the Florida Keys, as well as many Caribbean isles and Central America. A wild bunch of these are scattered all over the Everglades.  Once they are trimmed in residential areas, their trunks will look as good as those of the Sabal palms. 


Though many species of Coccothrinax exist, this is the only species native to Florida. It is characterized by being a small single-trunked palm with dark green upper leaf surfaces that are silvery underneath--see Lisa's original hairstyle below.

Where to plant Palm trees:  

Palm trees are tough, but don't plant them in a planter--or in a boxed sidewalks where they can't express their rhythm and roots.  South Florida, provides only 2-3 feet deep soil ( that cover the massive aquifer that builds the southern part of our state), so it's best not to box the palm, and let its roots cover a bigger surface.

A Sign of trouble: 

The Royal Palm tree will pencil out on top which is clearly visible, but other palm trees start showing iron, calcium and magnesium deficiencies in their leaves. For city dwellers, such as Palm trees, the prevalent problem is the limited space for roots (or that the water is not reaching to the crown). Ganoderma butt rot is a fungal disease that will kill infected palms, but most other bugs and diseases could be cured with attention. See Florida Palm trees for more details. 

And now if you are tired of guessing about the Simpsons: 
I have heard that the Simpsons decided to grow hair as Florida Palm trees but they pruned it heavily after the early episodes.  See below  for the original concept.

Royal Palm is in trouble WHEN IT PENCILS OUT ON TOP; HOMER'S hair shows Palm in trouble!

PRUNING OF PALM TREES CAN ADD TO THEIR CHARMS

ALTHOUGH FOXTAIL PALMS DON'T SCREAM, BUT THEY DO GET ATTENTION

LISA'S ORIGINAL SILVER PALM HAIR DESIGN (IT WAS PRUNED FOR THE SHOW)