Palm Trees in the United States

Excerpts from the report Preface: Palms form an integral part of the native woody vegetation of the United States, especially the Southeast, and yet are known well to few persons living outside the areas where they grow. Wherever they are native or are cultivated outdoors in our country, they lend an air of tropical luxuriance and usually indicate a mild climate. Palm products from various parts of the world enter extensively into our modern economy. Most important are the oils from the fruits or seeds of palms such as coconut, African oilpalm, and babassu. Among their many other uses, these oils are employed in the manufacture of soap, edible products, cosmetics, tin cans, roofing plate, glycerine, and synthetic rubber. Wax from the leaves of carnauba is a basic ingredient of many kinds of polishes; it also plays a part in making carbon paper and phonograph records. Interest in the importance of palms in the world economy, especially oil-yielding species native to the Western Hemisphere, is increasing. This bulletin fills a gap in popularly available published information on an interesting group of tree species native to the United States.