Palm - San Diego Zoo

10
Martingia Palm
Aiphane acuelata syn. caryotifolia
Carnauba Wax Palm
13
Copernicia prunifera
Native to the savannas and open
forests of Brazil, it gets its name
from the valuable heat-resistant wax
harvested from the leaves. Take note
of its characteristically blue-green
fronds and long petioles, that top a gray
trunk covered with spiraling leaf bases.
This tree’s red fruit taste a bit like coconut and is a
popular food among wild birds.
FUN
FACT
FUN
FACT
Aiphanes is a genus of spiny palms
ranging from 66-foot-tall trees to
small shrubs with subterranean
stems growing in Central and South
America. Palms in this group are
pleonanthic, meaning they flower
repeatedly over the course of their
life span.
Butterfly Palm,
Golden Cane Palm
14
Allagoptera arenaria
FUN
FACT
Endemic to the Atlantic Coast of
Brazil, this palm has a subterranean,
or underground trunk. Because of
this, its crown is at ground level
where the swirling, graceful fronds
can be appreciated. It is tolerant to
the extreme coastal exposures of
sun, wind, and salt spray.
12
Dypsis lutescens
Seashore Palm
This palm is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant
throughout South America. Its fruit can be eaten fresh
or used in a drink.
Ironically, although it is one of the
most popular houseplant palms
sold, this palm is endangered in its
native Madagascar. Also common in
tropical landscapes, it can reach 20
feet in height.
FUN
FACT
11
The group this plant belongs to, Dypsis, is the largest
genus of palms, containing over 150 species—all found
only on Madagascar.
Princess Palm
15
Dictyosperma album
Found only on the Mascarene Islands
east of Madagascar, this palm is
almost extinct in the wild. However, it
is a popular landscape plant that does
best in coastal areas. It can grow to
30 feet in height.
Pondoland Palm, Pondo
Coconut Palm
FUN
FACT
Jubaeopsis caffra
A coastal clumping palm from South
Africa, where it grows on the banks of
rivers. Threatened in the wild because
of deforestation, this slow-growing
plant likes a sunny, well-drained
location.
The wax scraped from the leaves is used in a variety of
products including car wax, candy, cosmetics, dental
floss, and paper plates.
This tree is also known as a hurricane palm, because of
its ability to withstand strong hurricane force winds.
FUN
FACT
Made possible through the generosity of
The miniature coconut is eaten by people and baboons,
and weaver birds gather nesting material from the palms.
The Daphne Seybolt Culpeper Memorial Foundation
sandiegozoo.org
Palms
Thrinax radiata
Foxy Lady Palm
Wodveitchia
FUN
FACT
FUN
FACT
A small genus of only seven species,
they are native throughout the Gulf of
Mexico and the Bahamas. All are very
slow growers and do not respond well
to transplanting; however, they make
excellent container plants. They do
require good drainage to be successful.
2
5
3
Rain Forest Palm
Clinostigma harlandii
6
FUN
FACT
FUN
FACT
This species is easily distinguishable from other king
palms by its long, purple, slightly bulbous crown shaft.
Cuban Royal Palm
Roystonea regia
A relative of this species, the Florida royal palm
Roystonea elata, a native of Florida’s cypress
swamps, is disappearing in the wild.
Ribbon Palm
Livistona decipiens
The common name of this palm comes from its leaves,
which are split into many pieces from the middle of the
leaf, looking like ribbons dangling from a hand-held fan.
Triangle Palm
Dypsis decaryi
Native to Madagascar’s rain forest,
this single-trunked palm can grow
up to 25 feet tall, but in cultivation
is usually only seen around 10 to
15 feet. What makes this palm so
unique is its geometric shape—three
evenly spaced leaf bases around the
trunk that form a triangle.
8
While it likes heat, water, and fast-draining soil, this
palm does best planted in an open area, so the
unique shape can be appreciated.
San Jose Hesper Palm
Brahea brandegeei
Native to Baja California, Mexico.
Populations of this palm have
suffered due to harvesting for
wood, edible fronds, and leaves
used for thatch. It is easily confused
with the Mexican fan palm
Washingtonia robusta, but this
species grows to only 25 feet tall.
9
This palm grows along forest edges and
coastal swamps of eastern Queensland,
Australia. In the United States, it can
survive where temperatures do not drop
below 20°F. The name decipiens, Latin
for “deceptive,” is thought to have been
given after discovering that it had been
misidentified and cultivated as another
plant species.
A tropical palm native to Vanuatu’s
cloud forests, this graceful palm has a
smooth, waxy trunk. This fast grower
does best in humid tropical and
subtropical areas; however, it will
tolerate cooler temperatures. There
are 10 other species of palms native to
the South Pacific islands of Vanuatu.
It is used for food by the local people who eat the
“heart” of the palm which tastes like a cross between
asparagus and French beans.
7
This palm is known for its lush and
beautiful, feathery fronds on a
massive, white-gray smooth trunk
that flairs out at the bottom. Widely
imported into Florida in the 1920s
and 30s, this species is now one of
the most common palms there.
FUN
FACT
FUN
FACT
This variegated palm was created
specifically for the interior
landscape business by crossing the
foxtail palm Wodyetia bifurcata
with the sunshine palm Veitchia
arecina. It grows best in full sun,
but will still do well in light shade.
The unique variegated yellow and green leaves makes
this a showy palm in a hotel or business lobby.
Archontophoenix purpurea ‘Mt. Lewis’
A stunning relative of the more
common king palm Archontophoenix
cunninghamiana. Its natural habitat
is limited to the Mount Lewis area of
northeast Queensland, Australia. It
grows in mountainous rain forests that
are much cooler than those in tropical
regions.
Florida Thatch Palm
Florida thatch palms are ideal coastal palms as
they can tolerate salt spray and winds.
Mount Lewis King Palm
FUN
FACT
1
4
FUN
FACT
tour begins at Map Locator 1, winds around
Wegeforth Bowl, and ends at Reptile Walk.
This palm can tolerate drought, full inland sun, and
hot winds, but doesn’t like humidity.
Loulu Palm
Pritchardia ssp. Hawaiian
Single-trunked palm trees with
fan-shaped leaves, the genus
Pritchardia consists of 26 species of
palms native to the tropical Pacific
Islands. There are as many as 23
endemic species of Pritchardia
throughout the Hawaiian Islands.
FUN
FACT
Match the numbers to the plant ID signs. The
Loulu means “umbrella” and its leaves were used as
cover from rain and sun. Early Hawaiians used the
hard wood from tall trunks to make spears.
10
Martingia Palm
Aiphane acuelata syn. caryotifolia
Carnauba Wax Palm
13
Copernicia prunifera
Native to the savannas and open
forests of Brazil, it gets its name
from the valuable heat-resistant wax
harvested from the leaves. Take note
of its characteristically blue-green
fronds and long petioles, that top a gray
trunk covered with spiraling leaf bases.
This tree’s red fruit taste a bit like coconut and is a
popular food among wild birds.
FUN
FACT
FUN
FACT
Aiphanes is a genus of spiny palms
ranging from 66-foot-tall trees to
small shrubs with subterranean
stems growing in Central and South
America. Palms in this group are
pleonanthic, meaning they flower
repeatedly over the course of their
life span.
Butterfly Palm,
Golden Cane Palm
14
Allagoptera arenaria
FUN
FACT
Endemic to the Atlantic Coast of
Brazil, this palm has a subterranean,
or underground trunk. Because of
this, its crown is at ground level
where the swirling, graceful fronds
can be appreciated. It is tolerant to
the extreme coastal exposures of
sun, wind, and salt spray.
12
Dypsis lutescens
Seashore Palm
This palm is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant
throughout South America. Its fruit can be eaten fresh
or used in a drink.
Ironically, although it is one of the
most popular houseplant palms
sold, this palm is endangered in its
native Madagascar. Also common in
tropical landscapes, it can reach 20
feet in height.
FUN
FACT
11
The group this plant belongs to, Dypsis, is the largest
genus of palms, containing over 150 species—all found
only on Madagascar.
Princess Palm
15
Dictyosperma album
Found only on the Mascarene Islands
east of Madagascar, this palm is
almost extinct in the wild. However, it
is a popular landscape plant that does
best in coastal areas. It can grow to
30 feet in height.
Pondoland Palm, Pondo
Coconut Palm
FUN
FACT
Jubaeopsis caffra
A coastal clumping palm from South
Africa, where it grows on the banks of
rivers. Threatened in the wild because
of deforestation, this slow-growing
plant likes a sunny, well-drained
location.
The wax scraped from the leaves is used in a variety of
products including car wax, candy, cosmetics, dental
floss, and paper plates.
This tree is also known as a hurricane palm, because of
its ability to withstand strong hurricane force winds.
FUN
FACT
Made possible through the generosity of
The miniature coconut is eaten by people and baboons,
and weaver birds gather nesting material from the palms.
The Daphne Seybolt Culpeper Memorial Foundation
sandiegozoo.org
Palms