General Palm Information

Palm Fun Facts ⎮ Parts of a Palm ⎮ Common Palm Identification ⎮ Plants Commonly Mistaken as Palm ⎮ What Is On My Palm?

• Despite people often referring to palms as “palm trees,” palms are NOT trees. Because trees are dicots, and palms are monocots, palms have different needs than trees.

• The vascular system of a palm is in bundles scattered throughout the trunk.

• Palm roots spread out far from the palm, sometimes more than 100 feet away. However, these roots aren’t very deep like tree roots can be.

• The health of the palm bud is very important, it cannot rejuvenate itself, if the bud dies, the whole palm dies.

• Palm trunks have a single growth point, called the apical meristem.

• Most palms found in the landscape in Florida are not native to Florida. Therefore, our soils are not adequate for their nutritional needs. This is why fertilizing palms is important.

Below is a selection of palms commonly found in the Suncoast landscape. A majority of these palms are not native to the Florida landscape. Therefore, their places of origins have been noted. Additionally, common nutritional issues and pest issues that arise in each species of palm have been listed. These are not a comprehensive list of all of the nutritional and pest issues that may occur, rather they are what we see most commonly in the our area (Sarasota, Manatee, and Hillsborough Counties).

While some of these plants are colloquially referred to as “palms,” they do not belong in the palm family, and therefore are not actually palms. Nevertheless, they can still benefit from receiving fertilization.

We often get questions asking us about strange features on certain palms. The following are harmless things that may be on your palm.

Lichens:

Inflorescence:

Scurf:

Root Initials:

Seeds: