Palm or palm-like plant - Plant Encyclopedia Results

This palm has 10-12 foot silver leaves that

droop slightly. The petioles (leafstalk) are heavily armed with long yellow spines.

Assai is one of the most valuable palms, sometimes called "new mysterious power fruit of the Amazon". It is famous for its anti-oxidant qualities of the fruit juice and as a host of many health benefits - from weight loss, to increased energy and lower cholesterol. The Assai is very interesting fruit that is highly popular as a low-cost beverage in Brazil, where it grows. In the U.S. it becomes the new high-dollar "rich man's" health drink.

This majestic palm is very ornamental, with multiple branches. It lives in seasonally flooded habitats and along water margins. It flowers throughout the year and the harvesting season is usually from July to December. The plant is a fast grower with multiple stems: the average mature wild tree has 4-8 well-developed stems from a single seed and root system; however, a single seed can grow a plant providing up to 25 shoots growing individually. It has pinnate leaves that start from a prominent crownshaft that is reddish color. It has adapted to live in periodically waterlogged and flooded soils by developing special root structures called pneumatophores. It produces both female and male flowers which are quite small and are brown to purple in color. The plant will take full sun as it matures, it also likes high humidity.

Acai produces an edible fruit which grows in bunches. The fruit is round, 1-2 cm in diameter, with a single large seed inside surrounded by stringy fibrous sheaths and a thin oily coating. It begins as a green color and ripens to a dark purple. Each tree stem usually produces four to eight bunches of fruit throughout the year but ripe fruits are the heaviest in the dry season.

The fruit is highly valued by the Amazonense for use in wine or as a juice, and it is an important and popular dietary complement. The dark purple juice is extracted from the small round fruit. The seeds are soaked in water to soften the thin outer shell. The seeds are then squeezed and strained to produce a tasty, dense purple liquid of incomparable flavor. This liquid is served ice cold with sugar and tapioca flour. Some people like it without sugar. It is a nourishing and refreshing treat that is also used to produce ice cream, liquor, mousses and sweets in general. Today, modern science has validated the absolutely remarkable wellness benefits of the Assai fruit. Acai is a rich source of anthocyanins and other phenolics and phyto-nutrients. Acai berries are amongst the most nutritious foods of the Amazon, rich in B vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein and omega-3 fatty acids. The berry is known to harness the following properties:

antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-Inflammatory, antimutagenic, cardiovascular system. It is also an excellent source of dietary fiber which promotes a healthy digestive system. Research studies suggest soluble fibers may help lower blood cholesterol. The insoluble fiber may help reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancers. Assai contains an amazingly high concentration level of Antioxidants which contribute to combat premature aging. Studies show that Açai provides significantly more antioxidants than such well-respected foods as blueberries, oranges and even red wine. The antioxidant concentration in the Assai fruit is five times higher than that of Gingko Biloba, the popular "brain boosting" herbal supplement that is renowned for its antioxidant properties. Assai is considered to have the best nutritional value of any fruit on earth.

This palm is also the world's main source of palm hearts: the proliferation of the tree is extraordinary, especially considering its intensive extraction for the delicious heart-of-palm.

Close related species, Euterpe edulis, is a single trunk tree.

Palm-like plant. Succulent. The greatly swollen trunk base and the recurving, narrow leaves are certain identification. With age, the trunk eventually develops a few branches. Ponytail can get up to 30' tall, and the base up to 12' across, but houseplants generally remain less than 6 or 8' tall. The plant looks a little like a palm, and a little like a big onion sitting on the ground with a single stalk growing up and sporting a parasol of drooping, strap-like leaves.Plants are dioecious, meaning only female plants will produce seed.

Ponytail makes a large and handsome houseplant, doing well even in rooms with air conditioning as long as it has bright light. It's a good specimen plant for a rock garden in a dry, warm climate.

Closely related species - Beaucarnea guatemalensis.

Copernicia prunifera is the source of carnauba wax, which is harvested from the coating on the leaves of the tree.

Form: tall palm with fan fronds and thin trunk. Size: 75ft or more, frond spread 10-12ft, trunk diameter may be only 12-14in. Leaves: fan 3-4ft wide, petioles are typically toothed, bright green. Flowers: large stalks extend beyond fronds with small white/cream flowers, bloom in early summer. Fruit: pea-sized black/blue seed. Stems/Trunks: distinctively narrow, sways in wind. Hardiness: leaf damage at 20°F, recovers quickly; hard freezes may completely kill even mature specimens Landscape: skyline, tree silhouette, tropical effect Culture: full sun, rapidly grows above all other canopy. Water: moderate, deep, drought tolerant; best on once per month. Propagation: seed from isolated source; hybridizes readily . Maintenance: high; frond removal, trunk shaving, will sometimes self shave if leaves fall off cleanly grows rapidly (6ft per year). When young most people prefer shaved trunk look, frond removal and shaving best done professionally. Tolerates soils and drought. Vulnerable to root rot in wet soils.

It grows near the sea. Growth rate: Slow. Salt tolerance: Very tolerant. Drought tolerance: Resistant. Minimum temperature: 27F.

Cycas thouarsii is one of the largest cycads and probably the fastest-growing, reaching over 10 meters tall.

In colder regions, Livistona benthamii (Bentham's Fountain Palm) can be grown in pots. The palm has small semi-shade leaves and grows from 10-20 feet tall. This plant is native to the Northern Territories of Australia and does best in USDA Zones 9-11. It is easily grown from small round black seeds and it loves regular water.

Caring for the Livistona benthamii in a pot in cold regions requires plenty of water and fertilizer. Care must also be taken to keep circulating air in the growing area to prevent fungus attack. The pot should be in a semi-shady spot.

The only palm in the world with a branched trunk. Seen along rivers at Samburu, Kenya.