Park of Palms: Part III

Last time we continued the adventure looking at some common palms and some uncommon ones in Park of Palms: Part II. This park is located in downtown Fort Myers, Florida, also known as the City of Palms. There are some 37 palms in the park, and this time around we encounter some even more interesting palms. Unfortunately, this park is only about a quarter of a city block, the city blocks here are small, and the proximity of these palms pose challenges for good photography. Also, some of the palms are young and haven’t reached there full heights.

Old Man Palm

This palm is a native to Cuba and is scientifically known as Cocothrinax crinita. It has a thick hairy trunk. This is a rare palm and can only be found in collector’s gardens. It’s a very slow growing palm about 5 inches in 10 years growing to about 10 to 20 feet tall.

Teddy Bear Palm

Scientifically known as Dypsis leptocheilos, also known as the redneck palm or red fuzzy palm due to its reddish-colored crown shaft. This palm comes from Madagascar and the trunk has a lot of similarities to bamboo. It has a single trunk ringed by scars from fallen fronds and grows 20 to 30 feet tall.

Dwarf Sugar Palm

Scientific name is Arenga engleri and is native to the Southern Japanese Islands. It grows up to 20 feet tall with a small six-inch trunk. The fronds are pinnate and triangular growing up to eight feet long.

Puerto Rican Hat Palm

Also known scientifically as Sabal causiarum. It is one of the more popular palms due to its cold hardiness tolerance up to USDA zone 8B. They’re distinctive with their self-cleaning fat trunks, growing 20 to 40 feet tall.

Savannah Palm

This fan palm, also known as Sabal mauritiiformis, is a slender, solitary trunk that grows from 50 to 65 feet tall. It grows in Southern Mexico, Central America and Northern South America.

Solitaire Palm

Scientifically known as Ptychosperma elegans, also known as Alexander palm, is an elegant palm with a slender solitary trunk. They grow 20 to 25 feet tall and do best in USDA zones 10A to 10B. They are popular in landscapes when combined as two or three.

Sugar Palm

Scientifically known as Arenga pinnata, this palm grows up to 58 feet tall with very erect pinnae, up to 40 feet long. The trunk is covered in black fibers and spines. This palm grows throughout South China, India and Southeast Asia form sea level up to 4,500 feet above sea level.

Palla Palm

Scientifically known as Attalea butyracea, with other common names of conta or shapaja. This palm does well in rain forest climates and is found in the northern and western parts of South America, Central America and Southern Mexico. This palm grows up to 82 feet tall with very vertical growing pinnae.

Jelly Palm

Scientifically known as Butia capitata or pindo palm. Its feathery pinnae arch away from a thick trunk and grow back toward the ground. Unfortunately this one is too small to get the full effect. It grows 12 to 15 feet high, sometimes up to 20 feet.

Arikury Palm

Scientifically known as Syagrus schizophylla. The arikury palm grows to about 10 feet tall with pinnae four to six feet long. This palm is unusual, as it doesn’t have a crown. The fronds grow up from the base to form the trunk.

Cliff Date Palm

Scientificall known as Phoenix rupicola, this graceful palm grows to 20 feet tall. It has long arching pinnae, about 10 feet long that give it a very graceful look. The fronds fall off clean, unlike other date palms, leaving a trunk ringed with scars.