Palms

There are at least 2,500 species of palms. The group is quite diverse, though most palms have a trunk (sometimes very short or even subterranean) and a compact crown of leaves. A few palms even come in the form of vines. It's from these southeast Asian vining palms that we get rattan from which furniture, baskets, and other useful articles are made.

As a matter of fact, few plants are as often used by man as palms. Palms provide us with foods such as fruit (dates), seeds (coconuts and palm oil), new leaves ("palm hearts"), starch (from the trunk - "sago"), sugar (from the sap), wine (fermented liquid from the sap of the "wine palm", Jubae chiliensis), and honey (with the help of bees, of course). We also obtain construction materials (trunks, leaves, and seeds) and wax (carnuba wax) from this important group of plants. Last, but not least, are the many ornamental uses of palms in landscapes around the world.

Although the majority of palms are from the tropics, quite a number of palms will grow in Austin's warm temperate climate. All of the palms listed below have grown unprotected in the Hartman Prehistoric Garden since the summer of 2001.

Arenga engleri - Dwarf sugar palm Arenga tremula Brahea armata - Blue hesper palm Brahea nitida Butia capitata - Pindo palm Chamaedorea microspadix - Bamboo palm Chamaedorea radicalis - Dwarf bamboo palm Chamaerops humilis - Mediterranean fan palm Guihaia argyrata - Chinese needle palm Jubaea chilensis - Chilean wine palm Livistona australis - Australian fan palm Livistona chinensis - Chinese fan palm Livistona decipiens - Weeping cabbage palm Livistona nitida - Carnarvon gorge palm Livistona saribus - Taraw palm Nannorrhops ritchiana - Mazari palm Phoenix dactylifera - Edible date palm Phoenix theophrasti - Cretan date palm Rhapidophyllum hysterix - Needle palm Sabal causiarum - Puerto Rican hat palm Sabal mexicana - Texas sabal palm Sabal minor - Palmetto Sabal palmetto - Cabbage palm Sabal uresana - Sonoran palmetto Sabal x texensis - Brazoria sabal Serenoa repens - Saw palmetto Trachycarpus fortunei - Windmill palm Trachycarpus latisectus - Windamere palm Trachycarpus nana - Dwarf windmill palm Trachycarpus takil - Himalayan windmill palm Trachycarpus wagnerianus Washingtonia filifera - Desert fan palm

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