As many as 100 palm species are endangered due to deforestation & unsustainable cultivation practices, below are 8 unknown facts about these tropical beauties:

1. There are about 2,600 palm trees species are currently known in the World.
The Arecaceae family of plants includes wonderfully diverse species found throughout the world, from the as dry as desert to the rainforest.

2. Palm trees have 2 different types of leaves: palmate and pinnate.
Palmate leaves, like hands, grow in a bunch at the end of a stem. Pinnate leaves are like feathers, growing all along either side of a stem.

3. Not all palm are “trees,” and not all plants called “palms” are truly palms.
These evergreen plants can grow in the form of shrubs, trees or long, woody vines called lianas. Plants like the yucca palm and traveler’s palm are not part of the Arecaceae family.

4. Staple comes from palm trees.
Palm Oil that used in many products are derived from the fruit of the oil palm tree.  Coconuts also is a product of palm trees, and did you know that acai fruit, dates and betel nuts are all come from palm trees?

5. The tallest palm tree can grow up to 197 feet tall!
Colombia’s national tree – The Quindio wax palm is the tallest-growing species of palm.  


Photo Credits: Wikipedia

6. Palm Wine?
Yes! The Toddy palm wine is a very common alcoholic spirit in regions of Asia and Africa. It can be created from coconut palms, date palms & other species.


Photo Credits: Wikipedia

7.The rarest palm tree is “Hyophorbe amaricaulis”.
The only 1 left currently lives at the Botanic Gardens of Curepipe in Mauritius

Photo Credits: Wikipedia

8. The largest seeds of any plant on Earth.
The seeds of coco de Mer palm tree can be as large as 20 inches in diameter and as heavy as 30 Kg.!


Photo Credits: Wikipedia