answersLogoWhite

0

Is a palm tree a tropical tree?

Updated: 10/8/2023
User Avatar

Wiki User

12y ago

Best Answer

No.

A palm is a monocot (family monocotyledoneae), which is related to corn, grass, bamboo, agave, irises, yucca, etc.

They do not develop rings year to year, and their stems are dramatically different from tree trunks. They do not add bulk to their trunks year to year at all, and their water transportation system is clusters of phloem and zylem packed in a pithy fibrous sheath.

***

Palms are neither a softwood (Gymnosperm) nor a hardwood (Angiosperm).

Palms are members of the Arcaceae family of flowering plants. They have been termed "the princes of the vegetable kingdom."

Of course, due to their enormous size, palms are commonly referred to as 'trees.' If one falls on your car, you're not going to tell the insurance agent that the damage was caused by a flowering plant.

So, while you and I might call them trees, Palms are not scientifically classified as such.
This is similar to asking: Is that animal really a 'dog' or a 'chien' or a 'perro'. It all depends on whether you speak English or French or Spanish. The animal is not really anything all by itself.

Likewise, a palm 'tree' is not really anything, but only what people say it is. The billions of people on the earth today and all who lived before them, have created a word 'tree' which includes palm trees. This is the classic dictionary definition. Although the word is different in each language, the concept, the idea of what a 'tree' is, remains the same.

Perennial woody plants having a main trunk, thick bark and distinct crown are trees. In this definition of trees the palms do not have woody trunk, therefore, these are not trees in strict sense.

In very recent times, a small number of people have been devoting themselves to the study of plants. To help them organize their field, they borrow some of our words and give them new meanings. Within the field of botany, our word 'tree' is now a technical term which does not include palms. Instead, palms --that don't have wood-- are categorized into the "manicot" class of flowering plants (along with orchids, tulips, onions, sugarcane, bamboo, wheat, and crabgrass).

- So, by botanical definition, a palm tree is not a tree.

- For the billions of non-botanists on the planet, and most of their dictionaries, a palm tree is a tree.

If two different groups use two different definitions, then there are two correct answers. But neither is what it 'really' is because it isn't 'really' anything!

Information which can be found in some relevant books:

According to An encyclopedia of cultivated palms / Robert Lee Riffle and Paul Craft (Portland OR / Cambridge: Timber Press, 2003. ISBN 0881925586) "palms are among the few monocot families with woody tissues". Palms "may be shrublike, treelike or vinelike". "As monocots, palms do not increase their trunk size by growing new wood. Rather, if the trunk enlarges, it does so by expanding the tissues first formed".

Palms are referred to as trees in the following:

Oxford dictionary of plant sciences/ edited by Michael Allaby (Oxford): Oxford University Press, 2004. ISBN 0198608764: page 319)

Plant / Editor-in-chief Janet Marinelli (London: Dorling Kindersley, 2004. ISBN 0751347973: page 356)

The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening / Editor-in-chief Anthony Huxley (London: Macmillan, 1992. ISBN 0333474945: Vol.3, page 443)

User Avatar

Wiki User

7y ago
This answer is:
User Avatar
More answers
User Avatar

Wiki User

12y ago

They are most prevalent in tropical regions. Some species of palm tree have managed to survive as far north as Canada, but not without special care. They are native to the tropics and subtropics.

Whether they are actually a tree or not depends on which definition of "tree" you subscribe.

It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to 6 m; some authors set a minimum of 10 cm trunk diameter (30 cm girth).

Palm trees are considered "trees" by this definition, but they are not scientifically classified as such.

Trees, shrubs, and vines all have one thing that separates them from the rest of the plant world: a woody stem that is perennial or that lives for many years. Grasses, palms, ferns, and even some cacti (see the saguaro) may be big and perennial, but are not made of wood and their tops are regrown year after year.

Notice that by this taxonomic exception, the Joshua "tree" also fails to make the cut.

Some palms and ferns grow very tall, and they do have a hard, wood-like, vertical stem, but their method of growth precludes them from being classified as trees. They are informally referred to as trees, but belong to different taxonomic family.

This answer is:
User Avatar

User Avatar

Wiki User

7y ago

A palm tree is a tree of the Arecaceae family, usually characterized by having a single trunk or stem, directly from which sprout several leaves or fronds giving the shape like an outstretched hand.

This answer is:
User Avatar

User Avatar

Wiki User

10y ago

All trees are plants, but the palm "tree" isn't considered a tree. It is a very large, tall plant.

This answer is:
User Avatar

User Avatar

Wiki User

14y ago

Phoenix dactylifera;Phoenix canariensis;Sabal mexicana;Chamaerops humilis;Washingtonia filifera;Trachycarpus fortunei;Washingtonia robusta

This answer is:
User Avatar

User Avatar

Wiki User

7y ago

Depends on which type of palm you're talking about. The typical palm tree is a tree, for example, but the sago palm never grows taller than bush-size.

This answer is:
User Avatar

User Avatar

Wiki User

12y ago

of course it has TREE in the name:)

This answer is:
User Avatar

User Avatar

Wiki User

14y ago

yes

This answer is:
User Avatar

Add your answer:

Earn +20 pts
Q: Is a palm tree a tropical tree?
Write your answer...
Submit
Still have questions?
magnify glass
imp
Related questions

What is another word for tropical tree with big branches?

palm tree


What is Sago palm tree?

A sago palm tree is a variety of tropical palm tree. Their scientific name is cycas revoluta. They are found in many places of the world where tropical plants grow.


What is the correct definition of the palm?

"The palm" may refer to a part of the body or to a tree. The palm tree is a type of evergreen tree which grows in tropical regions. The palm of the hand is the are of that hand that the fingers touch when one makes a fist. It is the inside area of the hand.


Where are coconut palm tree found?

In Hawaii! and most other tropical areas.


What type of plant is a coconut?

coconut is a fruit. It is grown on coconut tree.


What type of trees do sloths sleep in?

the umbrella shaped cecropia tree or tropical palm trees?


What is an adjective for the word palm?

Palmar is the adjective related to the word palm. Words that describe a palm (tree) may include swaying or tropical. Words to describe the palm of the hand may include open or itchy.


What is a tropical tree that has the same name as a body part?

Most trees have limbs. Humans have arms and legs that we sometimes call limbs.


What tropical tree is decorated duing Christmas time?

I suppose that if you really felt the urge to, you could decorate a palm tree with little festive ornaments.


What kind of tree can you hold in your hand?

A palm tree - as palm is a part of the hand


Do palm trees grow in Hawaii?

Pine trees do not grow on volcanoes. Pine trees usually grow in hot, tropical places, such as Hawaii and the Bahamas.The question is about palm trees!Palm trees grow in tropical, sub tropical and temperate climates. I suppose it is possible a palm tree will grow on the slopes (lower slopes) of a volcano.


What is the tropical plant with big leaves and huge roots spreading outside?

Not a clear question, but it may be a Arecaceae or Palmae(Palm Tree).