Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Miami, Florida has the world's largest palm collection, with more than 500 species and 1,000 palms across 13 acres. The collection includes the 13-acre Montgomery Palmetum, which is considered one of the world's most important documented palm collections.
Copernicia fallaensis, also known as the Falla palm, was once widespread in the Camagüey province of Cuba, but now only survives a small community of less than 100 mature trees near the town of Falla. It's now found in secondary savannas and is the best population in Ranchuelo, near Falla. I remember driving up to this village and the locals always in bewilderment as foreigners singly or in groups descend sporadically view the palms in their backyards. Outside of Ranchuelo, Camaguey this is the best strand of Fallaensis , even better than the collection at the National Botanical Gardens outside La Habana in Cuba. photo 8
Coccothrinax radiata, also known as the Florida thatch palm or Thrinax radiata, is a medium-sized, slow-growing palm tree with a shrub-like fan shape. It's native to Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and southern Florida, and can grow up to 30 ft tall and 15 ft wide. It has a cluster of 12–20 fan-shaped leaves that are 2–3 ft in diameter, and can form a dense canopy. photo 7
The Bismarck palm (Bismarckia nobilis) is a tropical evergreen tree native to Madagascar that can grow up to 60 ft tall and 16 ft wide. It has silver-green leaves that are typically 4 ft wide, with a waxy coating that makes them gray-silver in color. Photo 6
Fishtail palm. photo 5
A Strand of Roystonea Regia or Royal Palm, official tree of Cuba. photo 3
The Madagascar palm (Pachypodium lamerei) is a flowering plant native to Madagascar that has large thorns and spines on its trunk. photo 2
