The Palms of Naples Botanical Garden
The Palms are one of the most useful groups of plants in the world. Almost all are native to the tropical and subtropical regions of the world where they are used for food, fiber, crafts, shelter and landscapes – even medicine!
With over 2600 species of palms in the world they can be found in all shapes and sizes and growing in habitats from deserts to tropical rainforests and even in standing water. Naples Botanical Garden has over 200 species of palms in its collection. This guide will introduce you to just a few of the palms you’ll find throughout the Garden.
Smith Children’s Garden
The entrance of the Children’s Garden is covered by an arch of Florida’s native Saw Palmetto, Serenoa palmetto. These palms are estimated to be over 60 years old.
They are called saw palmetto because of the cutting edges of their petioles, the stem that connects the leaf to the trunk. The extract from the fruits have multiple medicinal uses and have been used in the treatment of prostate issues.
Some of the most prominent plants throughout the Brazil Garden are the American Oil Palms, Attalea spp. The feather duster-like form of these palms provides a dramatic skyline to the Brazil Garden. The inner part of the fruit is similar to a small coconut which, in their native regions, is cooked down for its coconut-like oil which is used for cooking. The leaves are often used for thatching. The Mule Palm, x Butyagrus nabonnandii is a hybrid between Jelly Palm and a Queen Palm. The name Mule Palm comes from the fact that it is sterile.
The Old Man Palm, Coccothrinax crinita, is named from its resemblance to an old man’s beard. This Cuba native is very slow growing and can take up to 10 years to reach just 5 feet. The Puerto Rican Hat Palm, Sabal causiarum, is a towering giant. Even though these two palms are over 40’ tall they were only planted here in 2011. These mature palms were donated to the Garden from a house in downtown Naples. The leaves of this palm are used in its native Puerto Rico for making woven hats.
The Bismarck Palm, Bismarckia nobilis, native to Madagascar, is one of the most beautiful palms in South Florida landscapes. Its giant silvery blue fronds are truly stunning and its tolerance to drought make it great for those South Florida gardens that are large enough to show it off. Cabbage palm, Sabal palmetto, grows all the way from South Texas, across the Gulf states, into South Florida and even up into the southern coast of North Carolina. It is the state tree of both Florida and South Carolina and can be found of the flags of both states.
The Sugar Palm, Arenga pinnata, is native to India through Southeast Asia to the Philippines. It gets its name from the sweet sap extracted from the flower spikes which is converted into sugar, wine or vinegar. The black fibers around the trunk of the tree are also used as a traditional thatching material in Java and Bali and can be seen on some of the lanterns in the Asian Garden. Coconut, Cocos nucifera, is the palm that needs no introduction. It grows throughout the world’s tropical regions and its uses are many.
