Spotlight: Let's Talk About (Golden) Palms
We had to do it eventually… we are finally doing a special spotlight feature on palm trees! Golden Palms, if you will. Here are some interesting facts about these wonderful trees. We hope you enjoy learning more about our inspiration behind GPL —
types of palm trees
There are many types of palms—more than 2,500 species—so we won’t go through all of them. If you’d like to research more in depth about the plethora of palms, here is a good resource. However, we will highlight some popular ones here:
Foxtail Palm - An Australian native, these palms are extremely popular with landscapers as they are very adaptable.
Date Palms - Palms in this family are recognizable. There are 14 different species and they are all absolutely breathtaking.
Coconut Palm - The most grown palm and the one that grows coconuts! This thrives in more tropical regions.
Queen Palm - Super popular landscape trees, you’ll probably spot these around your neighborhood.
European Fan Palm - Live in a cold climate but want a tropical feel? This is the palm for you.
Areca Palm - The popular houseplant palm that requires low care. It also naturally purifies the air. What’s not to love?
Majesty Palm - Another palm that can be grown indoors, but this one is larger than the Areca and more temperamental.
Mexican Fan Palm - Native to northwestern Mexico, these palms are tall and make the perfect roadway accent.
picking out the perfect palm
As we just mentioned, there are so many types of palms out there. How do you choose? Well, first, it’s important to first ask yourself what you are wanting to get out of the palm. Fruit? Shade? Depth? Style? Cute houseplant?
Second, will your palm of choice grow well in your zone? Unless you’re living in a tropical environment, not every palm will work in your favor. Here is a great resource for locating your zone!
Third, if you’re looking for a specific style, it’s good to know the different kinds of leaves! Palms have two kinds: pinnate and palmate. Pinnate are featherlike, while palmate are shaped like a hand and spread out at the end of the stems.
how to care for your personal palm
Your palm needs time to adapt. Because of this, be careful to not plant it too deep into the soil or to trim the roots right away. Fertilizing is great, but refrain from adding this if it’s freshly installed. Wait about two months so you don’t accidentally shock your palm!
Interestingly enough, young palms prefer shade as they are still fragile and immature. They will be able to bask in the sun as they grow older.
Palms are tropical plants, so they thrive with moist/wet and well-drained soil. If you can mist their leaves occasionally, they’d absolutely love that! It’s a special treat for them. Make sure to water regularly throughout the summer.
Most palm trees are independent. There’s usually no need to get up and trim them, they’ll happily shed their leaves themselves when it's time, which makes them different than most plants! Pruning yellowing leaves can actually cause harm and stress to your palm. In fact, they gather nutrients from these decaying fronds to help aid new growth.
If your palm is experienced frost bite, then it may not be the best zone for it. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy palm trees at all! Species such as the European Fan Palm or the Mexican Fan Palm Tree can withstand weather as low as 5 degrees Fahrenheit.
fun facts about palms
Coconuts aren’t the only fruit some palms can grow. Did you know that some species can grow fruits such as peaches, acai, and dates?! It’s important to note that some fruit grown from palms is poisonous to both humans and animals. Make sure to do your research!
Palm trees can live up to 90 years. Sometimes, even longer.
Some species can grow up to 200 feet tall—wow!
It’s actually inaccurate to call all palms, “trees.” Some are classified as shrubs and vines!
Palm wine is a thing. In regions such as Africa and Asia, kallu palm wine is made from a handful of palm species, more notably, the coconut and date palms. How amazing is that? We want to try it.
what species is the gpl palm that’s displayed in our logo?
Drum roll please… the GPL palm mascot is the one snd only Queen Palm! It’s always been a special species to the Golden Palm family. We are so happy to share that little fun fact with all of you! Thanks for being a part of the GPL community.
