Elegant, strong, and gifted with geometric shapes that intrigue and surprise.
A silhouette that carries us to warmer environments and to a laid back, colourful life, palm trees are part of both our imagination and our every day lives, but did you know that the first big publication regarding palm trees owes its credit to a Portuguese royal wedding?
It was after the wedding of Leopoldina of Austria and Pedro de Alcantara, that a team of scientists was sent to Brazil, including Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius, which would come to create one of the first, and most notable, publications about palm trees containing numerous illustrations: Historia naturalis palmarum.

Nowadays, there are over 2500 known species of palm trees, which provide us with a notion of how complex the taxonomy of this family is.

We have selected a few of them to inspire you, or to simply teach you about these plants that are constant reminders of Summer time and vacation…

One of the most common palm trees in Portuguese towns is the Phoenix canariensis, the Canary palm tree, which has been used in the 50s as a symbol of exotic destinations, and that could also have been spotted in farms as a symbol of colonial wealth. This species is currently dying due to the plaguing of the red beetles (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus), a weevil from Tropical Asia, which has been decimating the palm trees in Portugal, transforming its image in several locations throughout the country.

The Mexican fan palm (Washingtonia robusta) – a palm tree that is abundantly present in Mexico and California, which can grow to be 20-25 metres tall. This is the species that one may find lined up at the Crystal Palace in Porto, the garden’s seven very emblematic trees.

From the same kind, the California fan palm (Washingtonia filífera), is, together with the Phoenix canariensis and Phoenix dactylifera, one of the most used palm trees in Mediterranean climate gardens, since it is a species that’s relatively resistant to cold temperatures.

The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) is grown for its fruits, the dates. This tree is also frequently used as an ornamental plant in towns. It comes from ancient Mesopotamia, where it has been grown for over 5000 years. The ideal regions for growing this tree are situated on the south and east of the Mediterranean.

The Portuguese palm

Also known as the European fan palm, the Chamaerops humilis, is the only indigenous palm in Portugal and continental Europe. It is a very short tree, which can grow up to be 4-5 metres tall, supporting a multi-trunk body. It is frequently found in southern regions, in gardens, squares or planters.

Other palm trees that are considered interesting by their looks, colours, or other features:

Cyrtostachys renda – a palm that draws attention due to its bright red colour its petioles, and the shape of its leaves.

Bismarkia nobilis – a palm from Madagascar, relevant by its dense fan shaped foliage, in shades of bluish grey.

Some species resemble palms and are commonly named as such, but they are not actually palm trees in what concerns the taxonomy perspective, and this makes them false palms.

Such is the case of the traveller’s tree (Ravenala madagascariensis), which belongs to the Strelitzia reginae family, a herbaceous plant that is commonly used in gardens. The traveller’s tree is indigenous to Madagascar, which explains its specific restrictive madagascariensis. The species has become a symbol for the island, and it’s even present on the country’s airline logo. Featuring an absolutely astonishing silhouette, this plant supports several large leaves that are similar to a banana tree, supported by long fanciful petioles displayed in a fan shape, among which the plant accumulates water that has served to quench travellers’ thirst, hence its common name.

Cordyline australis – known as cabbage tree, it is also a false palm that can be frequently found in parks and gardens, and is also cultivated in pots. It is an indigenous tree from New Zealand, one of the species that has the highest recovery rate from fires. On some locations in Portugal, the cabbage tree is planted close to vineyards because its “ribbons” can be used to tie the grapevines.

Cycas revoluta – commonly known as sago palm or king sago, is also frequently cultivated in parks and gardens. It is a slow growth rate plant which does not grow to be taller than 1-2 metres high. The sago palm is considered to be a living fossil due to its unaltered features since its origin in the beginning of the Mesozoic period (200 million years ago).

Amália Souto de Miranda
Landscape architect