Palm Dome
The palm collection includes many different species from around the world.
Did you know that palms aren’t actually trees?
- Palms are really tall herbaceous plants!
- Palms grow in tropical and subtropical environments around the world.
- Some palms have tall, solitary trunks, while others have multiple trunks.
- Palms only produce leaves at their top, which is called a crown. As the palm grows, it sheds its old leaves, which leave round rings behind called leaf scars.
Betel Nut Palm
Areca catechu
Foxtail Palm
Wodyetia bifurcate
Old Man Palm
Coccothrinax crinita
Silver Bismarck Palm
Bismarckia nobilis ‘Silver Select’
Prickly Cycad
Encephalartos altensteinii
The largest cycad in our collection!
Did you know that cycads have been around for a long time?
- Cycads have been growing on Earth for approximately 300 million years.
- Many species of cycads existed alongside dinosaurs and other ancient creatures!
- The prickly cycad is native to South Africa. With proper care, it can live to be hundreds of years old.
Chocolate tree
Theobroma cacao
The plant behind one of the world’s most delicious delicacies.
Do you know where chocolate comes from?
- Chocolate comes from the fruit of a tree!
- Chocolate trees produce football-shaped fruits, often called cacao pods.
- The seeds inside these cacao pods are what chocolate is made from.
- Chocolate trees are native to Central and South America, but today, they grow in tropical areas throughout the world.
Hong Kong Orchid tree
Bauhinia x blakeana
This stunning plant is an eye-catcher, especially when it blooms.
Did you know that the Hong Kong Orchid tree is not related to orchids at all?
- This tree is actually a legume in the same plant family as peas and beans.
- This tree is semi-deciduous, which means that it sometimes loses some (or all) of its leaves.
- The Hong Kong Orchid Tree generally blooms between November and March.
