Palm trees make you think of the beautiful beaches. These trees make you remember the time you spend underneath its shade while relaxing and watching the never ending wave coming to the shore.It is because most of the time, we can only find these tall trees on the beaches, or do they grow elsewhere? However, there are things that are significant about the trees that we do not know about these stunning tropical trees.
1. There are more than 2500 species of palm trees. When you think that there is only one that are available on the beaches. These plants belong to the Arecaceae family which includes the diverse species that can be found in many parts of the world and from even the driest desert to the rich rainforest.
2. We are so used to calling them palm trees but in fact, not all of them are trees. The plats can grow into different shapes such as woody vines, and also shrubs. Moreover, not every plant that we call palms are really palms at all. What we often call the yucca palm, sago palm, torbay palm and traveler’s palm are really palms as they do not belong to the Arecaceae family.
3. There are two different types of palm trees, they are the palmate and pinnate. The palmate leaves look like hands and they grow in a bunch at the very end of the stem.
4. The palm tree are of religious importance. The palm leaves are used in the Palm Sunday, during the week before Easter. This is the tradition of the people of Jerusalem to greet Jesus for his triumphant as he had died and resurrected. Moreover, the palms are mentioned over and over again in the Bible as well as in the Quran during several occasions.
5. We use may staples that come from palm trees. Among the most used fruit of the palm trees are coconut. Coconut is great to be eaten raw but they are equally great to be cooked into dishes. Moreover, we also use the palm oil, the oil that is the product of palm trees, etc.
6. Palm trees can grow so tall that the tallest palm trees reach almost 200 feet. The hightest palm tree ever recorded grows in Colombia and has become the national tree of Colombia. The Quindio palm tree is 197 feet tall!
7. The seeds of coco de mer palm tree are the largest seed on the planet. The seeds can be 20 inches in diameter and they weigh 66 pounds.
