3 Ways to Identify a Palm Tree

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3 Ways to Identify a Palm Tree
3 Ways to Identify a Palm Tree

Video: 3 Ways to Identify a Palm Tree

Video: 3 Ways to Identify a Palm Tree
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Palm trees are easy to recognize plants, as their leaves have a distinct and unique shape, similar to feathers or fans. However, as there are hundreds of different species, it can be a little tricky to differentiate one from the other. To identify a palm tree, take into account the shape of the leaves, the color, the size, the trunk and its rings. To help you with the task, search online for information on the species that grow in the region where you live and compare the results with the tree you want to identify. Another alternative is to use photo-aware apps or websites for faster results.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Looking at the Sheets

Identify Palm Trees Step 1
Identify Palm Trees Step 1

Step 1. Look for feather-shaped leaves (or pinnate leaves)

The first step in identifying a palm tree is to observe the shape of the leaves, the most common type being similar to a feather: the leaves grow from a long midrib that rises at the top of the trunk, forming a sort of crown. If the palm tree you want to identify has this characteristic, you can restrict the possible alternatives, looking only for species that have this type of leaf.

Pinnate, feather-shaped leaves are found in most palm varieties, including bamboo areca, coconut, jerivá and date palm

Identify Palm Trees Step 2
Identify Palm Trees Step 2

Step 2. If the leaf doesn't look like a feather, look for a fan shape

In addition to pinnate leaves, another very common shape is the webbed leaf, which looks like a fan. In this type, individual leaves grow from a single point on the midrib, and the trunks are small and broad. In some species, the plant can reach 2.5 m in width!

As before, if your plant has webbed leaves, limit the possibilities and look for similar species that grow in your region. Examples of species are the blue palm, Mexican palm and the windmill palm

Identify Palm Trees Step 3
Identify Palm Trees Step 3

Step 3. Look out for sheets with different shapes

The Florida Sabal, a species native to the United States and the Caribbean islands, has a coastal-palm leaf structure. The leaves grow from a central axis called the coast and have a swollen appearance, as if it were a hybrid of pinnate and webbed leaves.

Although unusual, there is a family of palm trees whose leaves resemble a fish's tail, called bipinated leaves. In this family, numerous leafy pinnate leaves grow from a secondary stem from the main stem. The family is typical of Southeast Asia and Oceania

Identify Palm Trees Step 4
Identify Palm Trees Step 4

Step 4. Note which direction the leaves grow

The individual sheets fold in half to form a "V". Look at your palm tree and see if this shape is inverted or straight. Leaves that form a right "V" are called unduplicated, and with the inverted "V" reduplicated.

Knowing the shape of the sheets can help you identify the gender of the family. For example, if your plant has feather-shaped pinnate leaves and individual leaves in a right "V" shape, it is probably a species of date palm

Note the colors:

One way to differentiate species that have similar characteristics is by looking at the colors of the leaves. They can be bright green, pale, yellowish, silvery or bluish. Also, note if the tops and bottoms of the leaves are different colors.

Method 2 of 3: Examining the Trunk

Identify Palm Trees Step 5
Identify Palm Trees Step 5

Step 1. See if there are multiple trunks

The number of trunks is the first characteristic to be analyzed in this category. Most mature palms have a single trunk, called a stipe. If your palm is grouped with others or has several trunks, you can eliminate species whose leaves grow from a single stem.

  • For example, if your palm is grouped, has webbed leaves with an inverted "V" shape, it is certain that it belongs to the genus Guihaia.
  • It is not easy to tell whether young palm trees are grouped together or have a single stem. Single trunk species can be grouped together as shoots until one of them grows larger than the others, becoming the main trunk.
Identify Palm Trees Step 6
Identify Palm Trees Step 6

Step 2. See if the trunk and base of the leaves have thorns, fibers or spikes

Look for any textures that cover the trunk, such as loose fibers, folds, thorns or bark. Also, if the tree is not very tall, look for small thorns or spikes near the top of the trunk, where the leaf stems grow. Some species have very sharp spines, so be very careful not to get hurt!

  • In many species, old leaf marks appear on the trunk as the plant grows. They can look like horizontal lines, hardened bumps, or bent thorn-shaped splinters.
  • Textures in the trunk can help you define the species of the palm tree. Another example would be a palm tree with webbed leaves, a thorny crown and trunk fibers, characteristics that indicate a type of Mediterranean palm tree.
Identify Palm Trees Step 7
Identify Palm Trees Step 7

Step 3. Estimate the height

Different types of palms can have different sizes, and in addition to the leaves and trunks, the height of the plant can determine the species. Suppose you have analyzed the above features and come up with 2 possible variants. If one of them grows big, but your palm is short as a shrub, you can exclude the tall species.

  • There are many species in miniatures, commonly used in indoor or garden decoration, such as the dwarf date palm, the bottle palm, the garden sago and the elegant camedorea. These palm trees reach a maximum of 4 m.
  • Species such as coconut or wax palm can become gigantic. For example, the quindio wax palm is up to 60 m tall!

Tip:

You can only use the height measurement of adult palms, as you have no way of knowing how large a young palm can grow. It generally takes 4 to 6 years for a palm tree to reach its adult stage, but some can take 20 years or more to reach its full height.

Identify Palm Trees Step 8
Identify Palm Trees Step 8

Step 4. Look for fruits on top of trunk

If your palm is at the time to bear fruit, look at the base of the crown and see what it produces. Some species give small berries in bunches, such as dates, açaí and areca nut. Others produce coconuts (or very similar ones) of various sizes.

  • The color of the fruit is also a way of identification. For example, some date trees produce an orange fruit, and others produce dark purple dates.
  • Date and dwarf date palms are commonly used as both garden and indoor decorations. Coconut trees, on the other hand, are common along the boardwalk on beaches and tropical regions with hot weather.
  • Virtually all palm fruits are edible, and some, like açaí, are super healthy. However, some fruits are poisonous, so do not consume a fruit unless you are sure it is safe.

Method 3 of 3: Using Identification Programs

Identify Palm Trees Step 9
Identify Palm Trees Step 9

Step 1. Search the internet for palm trees that grow in your region

After noting the characteristics of the leaves and trunk, look online for palm trees that match the description. If the plant is growing outdoors, look for species native to your region and climate.

Suppose you live in the Brazilian cerrado, there are 6 main species native to the region, and you have a palm tree with a single greyish trunk, long leaves, pinnate, with a spiral and fibrous crown. With these characteristics, it is certain that it is a Gueiroba

Identify Palm Trees Step 10
Identify Palm Trees Step 10

Step 2. Enter your palm tree's characteristics into an identification website

There are apps and programs online that help identify numerous species of palm trees. Try using Palm ID Key, a partnership between the US Department of Agriculture and other government agencies at

To use the search engine, enter the characteristics of leaves, trunk, inflorescence (shape, color and growth of flowers) and fruits. Each time you tick a box, such as pinned leaves or bunched trunks, the system will eliminate species that don't fit the description

Identify Palm Trees Step 11
Identify Palm Trees Step 11

Step 3. Use a plant identification app

You can also download a photo recognition and identification app. Some popular apps include Picture This and PlantSpot. The Palm ID Key is also available as an application, but like the website, the recognition system is by feature filter instead of image.

Remember:

There are thousands of species of palm trees, and no app can recognize all the variations. Even so, knowing the basic characteristics can give you a sense of which gender she might belong to.

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