- The palm is an ancient plant group that existed prior to the Age of the Mammals. Fossils of palm leaves have been discovered that date back to the Age of the Reptile. Scientists believe palm trees once grew in all parts of the world. Fossils of palm plants have been discovered far north, in Greenland.
- Today palms grow in warm regions. They are common in Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, and in tropical and desert areas of America. Along the coast of North Carolina palm trees grow wild, as well as in desert regions of Arizona and California. Palm trees grow in Uruguay and central Chile and central Argentina.
- There are more than 2,600 types of palm trees. They vary in size, as well as the type of fruit and flower they each produce. Most palm trees grow straight up, yet some lie across the ground. Some types of palm trees grow with most of their trunk buried beneath the soil. Only a few types of palm trees have branches that grow from the trunks.
- The thickness of a palm tree trunk varies. Some palm trees have trunks that are no thicker than an inch. Many are between 4 and 24 inches thick. They may be a short shrub, or a tree that reaches 100 feet tall. The palm leaves also vary in size and appearance. Some palm trees have leaves that are less than a foot in length, while the raffia palm leaf can grow up to 65 feet long, and 8 feet wide.
- Palm trees supply food, such as the coconut or date. In some regions the palm supplies the raw materials to make baskets, rattan furniture, hats, clothing and building materials. Palm oil is made from the fruit of the palm tree. In many parts of the world palm oil is used for cooking, as a vegetable oil. The oil is also used to make soap. In the 1700s the oil was used as a medication by the English, and as hand cream. The palm tree is also a popular landscape tree and shrub.
