This list of palms covers far more than common species. Discover the selection spanning feather and fan types, climbing rattans, and more, across tropical and subtropical regions worldwide.
POPULARParlor Palm
Chamaedorea elegans
POPULARPygmy Date Palm
Phoenix roebelenii
POPULARSago palm
Cycas revoluta
Areca Palm
Dypsis lutescens
Majesty palm
Ravenea rivularis
Ruffled fan palm
Licuala grandis
Lady Palm
Rhapis excelsa
Bamboo Palm
Chamaedorea seifrizii
POPULARKentia palm
Howea forsteriana
POPULARCoconut
Cocos nucifera
POPULARWindmill palm
Trachycarpus fortunei
POPULARCanary Island date palm
Phoenix canariensis
European fan palm
Chamaerops humilis
Burmese fishtail palm
Caryota mitis
Chinese fan palm
Livistona chinensis
Cabbage palm
Sabal palmetto
Mexican fan palm
Washingtonia robusta
California fan palm
Washingtonia filifera
dwarf palmetto
Sabal minor
date palm
Phoenix dactylifera
saw palmetto
Serenoa repens
Walking Palm
Socratea exorrhiza
South American jelly palm
Butia capitata
Bismarck Palm
Bismarckia nobilis
Cuban Royal Palm
Roystonea regia
needle palm
Rhapidophyllum hystrix
queen palm
Syagrus romanzoffiana
Mexican Blue Palm
Brahea armata
Rio Grande palmetto
Sabal mexicana
African oil palm
Elaeis guineensis
Manila palm
Adonidia merrillii
Chile cocopalm
Jubaea chilensis
Alexandra palm
Archontophoenix alexandrae
Piccabeen Palm
Archontophoenix cunninghamiana
Senegal date palm
Phoenix reclinata
wild date palm
Phoenix sylvestris
Florida silver palm
Coccothrinax argentata
black palm
Astrocaryum standleyanum
scrub palmetto
Sabal etonia
betel palm
Areca catechu
Triangle palm
Dypsis decaryi
Bottle palm
Hyophorbe lagenicaulis
red sealing wax palm
Cyrtostachys renda
double coconut
Lodoicea maldivica
South American Jelly Palm
Butia odorata
Florida thatch palm
Thrinax radiata
Licuala peltata
Licuala peltata
Foxtail palm
Wodyetia bifurcata
Assai palm
Euterpe oleracea
Moriche Palm
Mauritia flexuosa
Chamaedorea metallica
Chamaedorea metallica
doum palm
Hyphaene thebaica
Queensland Fan Palm
Licuala ramsayi
copernicia
Copernicia alba
Solitaire palm
Ptychosperma elegans
American oil palm
Elaeis oleifera
Cretan date palm
Phoenix theophrasti
Dimaka
Tahina spectabilis
Savannah palm
Sabal mauritiiformis
Panama hat plant
Carludovica palmata
Download our free app and get access to thousands of plants database with AI-powered identification
These plants belong to the family Arecaceae and look like trees but grow very differently. Each has a single, unbranched trunk with one terminal growing point at the crown — the source of every new frond.
They are also monocots, which means they're structurally closer to grasses than to broadleaf trees like oaks or maples. They don't produce annual growth rings, and their trunk diameter stays roughly constant from the moment it forms.
The family Arecaceae spans around 180 genera and 2,500 species, distributed unevenly across the tropics. The greatest concentration falls in South-East Asia and Malesia, with the Americas as the other major center.
Diversity peaks in Malesia — the tropical zone spanning Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei, and New Guinea. South America is another major hotspot, home to palm species with striking adaptations, like the Walking Palm.
Most palm varieties divide into two groups by frond shape. Feather species, like the Areca palm, have pinnate fronds — leaflets along a central stem. Fan species, like the Windmill Palm, have palmate fronds radiating from a single point.
Feature | Feather | Fan |
Frond structure | Pinnate — leaflets along a central stem | Palmate — leaflets from a central point |
Main genera | Cocos, Phoenix, Elaeis, Dypsis | Washingtonia, Livistona, Chamaerops, Trachycarpus |
Geographic presence | Humid tropical lowlands, rainforests | Tropical to warm temperate, drier climates |
Cold tolerance | Generally low | Generally higher |
Commercial significance | Globally traded | Mostly ornamental |
Named examples | Coconut, Date, Queen palms | California fan palm, European fan palm |
Feather species dominate in humid tropical lowlands and drive most of the world's palm economy. The fan group, better adapted to drier and cooler climates, extends the family's range far beyond the tropics.
5 min read · 28 Sept 2026
Learn how to prepare your garden for winter with a practical six-step checklist covering cleanup, tender plant care, watering, mulching, winter protection, and winterizing equipment and containers.
12 min read · 7 Aug 2026
A front yard tree can stay for decades. Therefore, choosing one deserves serious consideration. Here are 13 trees that have proven themselves, sorted by their purpose. You'll also find five species to avoid and basic planting information.
11 min read · 29 Jul 2026
Learn which plants can be seriously damaged by Epsom salt and which will thrive on it. We’ll explain when and how to use it properly, provide tips for indoor & outdoor plants — read on and enjoy a healthy garden.
