Palm

There are a wide range of palms which are sold commercially under an array of names, such as the Lady Palm (Raphis), Data Palm (Phoenix) and the Kentia Palm (Howea). These plants come from tropical regions and thrive in atmospheres of intense humidity, making them popular choices for conservatories.

Description
Most palms are easily identified by their large evergreen compound leaves arranged at the top of each un-branched stem. However, there are a number of palms that don’t fit this description and this family of plants is hugely varied in its physical appearance.

Habitat
Most palms are found growing in the tropics abundantly and they thrive in their natural environments, particularly in Madagascar and Columbia. They live in a variety of ecosystems other than tropical forests, including coastal swamps, mountain habitats, scrublands and desert oases.

Availability
Some palms can be grown from their stones, such as the date palm. The fruit stones are soaked in water to remove the flesh before being planted in small pots and kept warm until germination.

Species
Palms are from the Arecaceae or Palmae family of flowering plants. There are approximately 200 known genera and around 2600 species, most of which are found growing naturally in subtropical, tropical and warm, temperate climates.

Care Tips
If brown tips appear at the end of the palm fronds, this is a sign of dry air. Take care to mist the plant more regularly and snip off the discoloured ends gently to maintain its appearance. Some palms will actually prefer shady areas indoors, so it’s worth moving them around until they visibly thrive in their pots. Keep them fertilised during the growing season and trim them very carefully, as the fronds can become damaged and brown. Only repot palms when they have outgrown their pots and make sure that their roots have good drainage, or the root ball may rot.

Did You Know?
An economically important plant, palms have been cultivated by people throughout history and many foods and products are derived from them, including oil, coir matting, carnuba wax and coconuts.

References
http://www.palmcentre.co.uk/default.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1
http://houseplants.about.com/od/pickingahouseplan1/a/PalmBasics.htm