12 Different Types of Palm Trees Found in India
Arecaceae is the family of all plam plants, distinguished by their large, evergreen leaves and solid fruits. Palms are the best known and most cultivated plants in India, Here is the list of 12 different types of palm trees found in the Indian subcontinent.
Toddy Palm (Borassus flabellifer)
Borassus flabellifer or toddy palm tree is native to the Indian subcontinent and used to make Tadi or Palm wine in India. The palmyra palm is the official tree of Tamil Nadu and very respected in Tamil culture, leaves are used for baskets, stalks are used to make fences, Palmyra sprout and palm fruit or ice apple loaded with cooling properties.
Coconut Tree (Cocos nucifera)
Coconut Tree is also the member of the palm tree family and the only known living species. The tree is very useful for edible seeds, coconut milk, coconut water, coconut oil and also has cultural and religious significance in in India.
India is third largest producer of coconut in the world, major coconut cultivation state in India are Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
Betel Palm (Areca catechu)
Areca catechu species of palm tree has many common names such as betel palm, Indian nut and areca palm. Betel palm tree is commercially important for its fruits,seeds, leaves and for landscaping.
The areca nut is the fruit from betel palm used for chewing throughout Asian countries along with betel leaf and dry leaves are used to make disposable palm leaf plates and bowls.
Date Palm (Phoenix sylvestris)
Phoenix sylvestris or Indian date palm tree is from the palm family, native to most of India and drunk fresh sap is used to make palm jaggery in West Bengal.
Fishtail Palm (Caryota urens)
The fishtail palm also known as jaggery palm flowering plant is from the Indian Subcontinent where its leaves are used as fishing rod and the tree is one of the sugar palms also grown for edible seed and toddy palm wine.
Royal Palm (Roystonea regia)
Royal palm species of palm has been planted as an ornamental tree in India for landscaping and also cultivated in India. Roystonea regia species of palm tree also host plant for the butterflies, royal palm bug and source of oil and for livestock feed.
Talipot Palm (Corypha umbraculifera)
Talipot species of palm is is a flowering plant, bearing fruits, flowers and grown in southern India. The talipot palm is one of the largest palm and its leaves are used to make umbrellas for agricultural workers, to make palm wine and also leaves are also used for thatching.
Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis)
The oil palms are the principal source of palm oil and the species is found in several islands of the Indian ocean, Indonesia and Malaysia. Indonesia is the largest producer of the palm oil in the world and India is the world’s biggest consumer of palm oil.
Sago Palm (Cycas circinalis)
Queen Sago Palm is native to southern India and listed as endangered plant in India. The wild plam seeds are poisonous but harmless after soaking them in water, used for the wild palm from southern India.
Foxtail Palm (Wodyetia bifurcata)
The Wodyetia bifurcata is native to Australia but now commercially grown throughout the India. Foxtail palm is the most used landscape palm tree in the world, named for wonderful spiral leaves.
Doum Palm (Hyphaene thebaica)
Doum Palm is known as hoka palm or hoka trees in India, The multi branch Palm tree are strange Palm trees and only found around the Nagao Beach of Diu in India.
Aren Palm (Arenga pinnata)
The black sugar is a medium sized palm with list of commercial use in southeast Asia. Areng palm trees are distinguished by their evergreen leaves and known for black sugar extracted from the tree.
Small palm plants are one of the most commercially grown plants, used for house garden, landscaping and create an elegant look.
Other well known species of palm in India are Nipa Palm,Kentia palm,mangrove palm,bamboo palm and king palm or Alexander palm.
