How are they classified and what types of palm trees are there?

Palm leaves can be pinnate

Palm trees are plants that beautify gardens and patios in a spectacular way. Of the more than 3000 species that are distributed throughout the world, especially in tropical and temperate regions, there are many - if not many - that have a very high ornamental value.

Therefore, if you want to know more about them, if you would love to discover what types of palm trees are there, you can't miss this special item.

View of a palm leaf

All the palms They can be classified in two different ways: according to the trunks it has and according to the shape of the leaves. Let's start with the first.

Classification according to the number of logs

Single palm trees

Single palm trees are those that have a single trunk, like the kentia, a palm tree that when young can be confused with the areca, which is why we leave you a video:

The unicaules are the most common of all, since for obvious reasons they occupy much less space than those with several stems. But they have a problem: if the growth guide is damaged, the vast majority of the time the specimen dies.

Some of the most interesting species are:

Cocos nucifera 

Cocos nucifera plantation

El coconut tree It is a palm tree that can be found on the sandy tropical beaches of the Caribbean Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific. It reaches an approximate height of 20 meters, with a crown of pinnate leaves up to 3 meters long. The fruit, the coconut, is the largest seed that exists, and can weigh up to 2kg. It does not resist cold or frost.

Roystonea regia

Specimens of Roystonea regia

La royal cuban palm tree It is a species native to southern Florida, Belize, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Honduras, and some regions of Mexico and the Cayman Islands. It reaches a maximum height of 40 meters, but does not usually exceed 25m. Its leaves are pinnate, with very numerous leaflets and bifid at the apex. The trunk is ringed, smooth and with a diameter of up to 60cm. It can resist up to -2ºC as long as it is an adult and acclimatized specimen (Young seedlings cannot bear frost).

Syagrus romanzoffiana

Trunk of Syagrus romanzoffiana, a cold resistant palm tree

El feathery coconutAlso known as the pindó or pindó palm tree, it is a plant native to southern Brazil, Paraguay, the Argentine coast, Bolivia and Uruguay that reaches a height of about 25 meters. Its trunk is smooth, ringed, with a basal diameter of up to 60cm. The leaves are pinnate, whose lanceolate leaflets are inserted into the rachis in different rows and groupings, which is what gives it the feathery appearance. It resists without problems the frosts of until the -8ºC.

Multi-tubed palm trees

The multicaule palms are those that have several trunks. They are very decorative, but to be able to contemplate them in all their splendor it is necessary to have a certain space in the garden. 🙂 Some of the most interesting are:

Chamaerops humilis

Chamaerops humilis specimen

Known as palmetto or margallón, is a native palm of the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands that reaches a height of about 4 meters. The leaves are fan-shaped, and can be green or bluish-green depending on the variety. Resists up to -10ºC.

Cyrtostachys renda

Cyrtostachys renda specimens

La red palm tree It is a plant native to Sumatra that has the trunk and rachis of that color. It reaches a height of up to 12 meters, with pinnate leaves 2 meters long. The drawback is that to be able to grow it outside all year round it is necessary that the temperature and humidity be high, since it does not support the cold nor the dry environments.

Nannorhops ritchieana

Nannorrhops ritchiana, a cold-resistant multicaule palm

This is a species of multi-stemmed palm native to Asia, specifically from southern Arabia, Iran and Pakistan that reaches a height of about 2-3m. Its leaves are fan-shaped, green or bluish depending on the variety. Resists cold and frost down to -15ºC.

Classification according to the type of blade

The leaves of palm trees can be of several types, which are the following:

Pinnate leaf

The pinnae or leaflets of these palms sprout out from the rachis. Doing so ends up looking more or less feathery. Examples:

Archontophoenix maxima

Young specimen of Archontophoenix maxima

It is an endemic palm tree from Queensland, Australia that reaches 25 meters in height. Its leaves are pinnate, green, and up to 4 meters long. It is the largest of the genre, and also one of the coolest; I can still tell you that supports without damage up to -2ºC.

butia capitata

Palm Butia capitata, a beautiful plant that has pinnate leaves

The capitata palm is an endemic plant of central-eastern Brazil that reaches a height of about 5 meters. Its crown is made up of pinnate and arched leaves up to 170cm in length. Resists up to -7ºC.

Phoenix dactylifera

Date Palm or Phoenix dactylifera, a palm with a pinnate leaf

La date It is a palm native to Southwest Asia that reaches a height of up to 30 meters and has bluish-green pinnate leaves that measure about 2m. Produces edible dates and withstands cold down to -10ºC.

Bipinnate leaf

The leaflets, instead of being simple, are doubly pinnate, but they also branch into numerous pinnulate. The most representative species is:

Obtuse caryota

It is a palm native to India, Laos and Thailand that reaches a height of up to 40 meters, with bipinnate leaves that can measure up to 4 meters. It has a slow growth rate and does not support frost.

Clap blade

This type of leaf is known as a fan-shaped leaf, since the blade looks like this. Examples are:

Copernicia prunifera

View of the Copernicia prunifera plant

Known as carnaúba, caranúba palm or carnauberia, it is a native plant of northeastern Brazil that reaches a height of up to 15 meters. The leaves are fan-shaped and 1,5m wide. Does not resist frost.

Robust Washingtonia

View of a young Washingtonia robusta

Known as mexican fan palm, is a palm native to the south of the Baja California peninsula (Mexico) that reaches a height of up to 35 meters. Its leaves are fan-shaped, green. Resists up to -7ºC.

Costapalmate leaves

The leaves are inserted in the form of a rib. Some examples are:

Sabal maritime

Sabal maritima, a species with costapalmate leaves

It is a species native to Jamaica and Cuba that reaches a height of up to 15 meters. Its costapalmate leaves, each with 70-110 leaflets, can measure between 2 and 3 meters. Despite its origin, it resists well frosts down to -4ºC.

livistona saree

Specimen of Livistona saribus

It is a palm native to Asia that reaches a height of up to 40 meters. Its crown is made up of spiny, green fan-shaped leaves. Resists up to -5ºC.

And with this we are done. I hope all this information has been useful to you and you can better identify the types of palm trees in the world 🙂.


5 comments, leave yours

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  1.   Jose Herrera said

    Hello
    Check the date palm, this type can be cut or is there any prohibition?

    Now if it can be counted, how is this procedure done, does a chainsaw work or should another element be used?

    I would greatly appreciate information in this regard. Slds!

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hello Jose.
      No, it is not prohibited if it is on your lot.
      Chainsaw can be used.
      A greeting.

  2.   Carolina said

    For a few weeks I have been hooked on this world of palm trees and this information is very useful to me. Thanks

  3.   Diego said

    Thank you for the information, very complete and at the same time simple, I live in San Rafael Mendoza Argentina, semi-desert climate, I have just acquired some specimens of Phoenix dactylifera and Whashingtonia robusta and I hope to have success with the transplant and . Thanks!

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      I hope it went well 🙂