Florida is a destination state in which people flock to it each year to enjoy its warm weather, beautiful beaches, and myriad of entertainment options from theme parks to natural springs. Florida’s landscape is as diverse as its regional climate patterns, but one species of tree that can generally be found through out the state is the palm. The tree, whose name was derived from the uncanny resemblance of the fronds to fingers, was afforded the unique distinction of being the state tree in 1953, which, up until 1970, was represented by the coconut palm.

Although the palm that is now considered the state tree is the Sabal, the coconut palm still makes appearances through the area. Thought to be native to the South Pacific region, the coconut palm is more than just a glorious ornamental. Copra, dried sections of the meat of the coconut, are used in the commercial production of cooking oils, soaps, and cosmetics. Several cultivars of this distinct palm grow throughout Florida including the Jamaica and Panama Talls, the Malayan and Fiji Dwarves, and the Maypan hybrid.

To learn more about the Coconut Palm including propagation and environmental stressors take a few minutes to review the literature from the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg043