How Many Types of Palm Trees are in Hawaii?

While only one palm tree, the Loulu Palms, is indigenous to Hawaii, there are as many as 25 or more different types of palm trees you can find there currently. Most of those palm trees were planted in Hawaii over the years and originated in other countries, such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and Australia.

Palm trees are not only beautiful to look at, but they are also important to our environment and ecosystem. There are many different varieties of palm trees that are gorgeous throughout the state of Hawaii. You can read on for more information on the different types of palm trees that you can enjoy while visiting this beautiful place.

The Loulu Palms

While Hawaii seems to be a tropical paradise and it does experience subtropic weather conditions, the climate overall is not perfect for many types of palm trees. The one palm tree that originated in the state and is still thriving today is the Loulu Palms, also known as Pritchardia kaalae or Waianae Range prichardia which are both scientific names for the tree, according to World Atlas. It is the only native palm tree to Hawaii and is used throughout the Hawaiian Islands, as well as other areas of the United States, in landscaping projects since it is a gorgeous tree that is easier to grow and maintain in a variety of climates, which is not the case for more exotic palm trees. Native Hawaiians have even been known to eat the fruit from the Loulu Palms before it is completely ripe, when it is at its best.

The Loulu palm is also known by the scientific name Pritchardia kaalae or Waianae Range pritchardia. When it comes to trees in general, they can have a variety of different species and when it comes to the Loulu palms, there are about 29 different species in total and about 20 of those are native to the state. The sad part is that there used to be forests throughout Hawaii that were filled with Loulu Palms, but due to the clearing of forests for construction and other things, the Loulu Palm tree is currently on the list of the most endangered species of trees in the United States.

Coconut Palm Tree

Probably one of the most popular palm trees is the Coconut Palm Tree. People think it is cool to be able to pick their own coconut to use in a variety of recipes and even drink the coconut milk that it produces right out of the coconut shell. They are really fun when they are hollowed out by a bartender and filled with alcohol. The coconut palm tree produces coconuts all the time throughout the year, but it is actually native to Australia and Malaysia rather than Hawaii as it was brought into Hawaii centuries ago and planted there, mostly along the beaches that are peppered throughout this beautiful state.

Palm trees are very large, since they can grow to be about 10 feet wide and almost 100 feet tall. This means they can be seen from far away while you’re driving down the highways in Hawaii or walking along the beach and looking at the landscape. The whole tree works together with all of its different parts to foster the growth of the coconuts since the tree sports huge green palm leaves that can provide shade from the sun as the coconuts ripen and there is even a husk-type of material that grows around the different groups of coconuts throughout the tree which can protect them while they mature.

While many people love this type of palm tree, you may not want to hang out underneath it while reading a book or just simply relaxing since there is a chance that one of the very heavy coconuts could fall on your head. While it may be funny to some to get conked in the head with a coconut, if one falls from very high up the tree it can actually injure you seriously, so it is best not to use this massive tree as a place for shade.

Fishtail Palm

Touted as the Fishtail Palm tree, the Caryotas boasts plenty of green leaves and can be found near cities and other areas throughout Hawaii in tropical forests. This type of palm tree has several different species, and they are all gorgeous and vibrant. The leaves sport an array of different shapes and sizes, which gives this tree a much wilder appearance than other palm trees. They are fun to look at and provide plenty of fun for kids since they can collect different shapes and sizes of palm leaves to bring home to show their friends.

Bottle Palm Tree

The Bottle Palm Tree gets its name from its very different-looking trunk that resembles, you guessed it, a bottle. This type of tree is used throughout the suburb areas of Hawaii in peoples’ yards and in their landscaping and garden areas. Since it has tons of leaves that cascade down, it almost resembles a plant instead of a tree. There are even some types of bottle palm trees that have two or three trunks instead of just one, so they are a very unique tree to check out while you are visiting Hawaii.

Lipstick Palm

Originating in Thailand, the Red Sealing Wax Palm is often referred to as the more interesting name of Lipstick Palm. This particular palm tree was able to adapt quite easily to the climate and environment of Hawaii and boasts a very bright and bold red color when it comes to its stem and, of course, a vibrant green when it comes to its palm leaves. This makes this particular tree stand out from many of the other types of palm trees throughout the state.

It is considered one of the more exotic palm trees that you can find in Hawaii and you can spot them easily because of the bright red color that pokes out from leaves as you are walking or driving past one. You can find the Lipstick Palm throughout the state and it is used often in the yards in lawns of local businesses as well as local residents since they provide great curb appeal.

Areca Palm

The Areca Palm is somewhat of a basic type of palm tree but it still looks great growing throughout the state. It is sometimes referred to as either the Golden Cane Palm or the Bamboo Palm and resembles a bush instead of a tree before it matures and grows into its own. Once it grows up to be an adult, it definitely looks like a tree since it is about 40 feet high and 10 feet wide. It can even grow in a group of several slimmer trees that have trunks that look like they are made of bamboo, hence one of its three names. These groups boast trees that can even grow into a bunch of a dozen or more and they can be found throughout this beautiful state.

Bismarck Palm

Madagascar is the place where the Bismarck Palm Tree originally came from, but it looks absolutely fabulous aligning some of the streets and beaches of Hawaii. It is a newer palm tree for this state and it boasts gorgeous blue and silver palm leaves that spread out like a fan. There are about 30 of these leaves that grow on each tree that tends to bend downward a little bit as it grows, allowing the silver underside of the leaves to show through. It is gaining popularity with people who live in Hawaii since it looks so different from the other varieties of palm trees that grow in Hawaii. Not only are its leaves very unique, but its trunk is and it can grow to about 60 feet tall and about two feet around if it has enough space to grow and flourish.

MacArthur Palm

When it comes to different types of palm trees in Hawaii, the MacArthur Palm is one of the smallest trees since it does not grow to be very tall and has a thinner trunk than most palm trees. It is one of the more common types of palm trees in Hawaii and is considered to be super cute because of its smaller size. While its thin trunk that is grey in color can grow up to 30 feet high, this tree normally only reaches about 15 feet in height but it boasts gorgeous palm leaves in which white flowers and red fruits bloom throughout the year.

Travelers Palm

The Travelers palm tree is very hard to distinguish from the Hawaiian palm trees that are indigenous to the state because they look so much alike. This tree has palm leaves spread out wide and beautifully and will almost put you in the mind of a beautiful Peacock. It boasts clusters of stems that look like they form the letter V. Superstition has it that this particular palm tree holds a little magic within it and if you stand in front of it and make a wish you may very well have a better and brighter future ahead of you.

Dwarf Date Palm

The Dwarf Date Palm is, as its name suggests, a very small palm tree that is only about five feet wide at its largest and only grows to about six feet tall. It is considered one of the smallest palm trees in this state and you will not find it growing in the many tropical forests throughout Hawaii but instead, you will find these types of trees planted as part of the landscape around homes and businesses as well as luxury resort areas and upscale condominium complexes that are also very luxurious.

You may even see some of these palm trees planted throughout the lawn of the hotel you stay at or the restaurant that you dine at while you are visiting Hawaii since this type of tree can be grown inside or outside. Sometimes this type of palm tree will develop two or three trunks instead of just one and will boast beautiful yellow flowers that will grow into groups of fruit that will form in the colors of black or red throughout the season.

Wodyetia Palm Tree

More commonly referred to as the Foxtail Palm, the Wodyetia Palm tree shows off its very fluffy green palm leaves that will put you in the mind of a fox’s tail. This tree originally hails from the eastern area of Australia but eventually made its way over to the United States and landed in Hawaii. While the trunk of this tree is thinner than many of the other types of palm trees found in Hawaii, it can grow very tall, even reaching a height of about 25 feet. It has very unique types of palm tree characteristics and produces plenty of seeds that can be replanted as well as pollen which helps the environment and insects around it. This tree will boast a variety of different colored flowers and eventually will produce orange fruits. It is a very popular tree since it is super easy to maintain and it can be found throughout this beautiful state.

More Facts about Palm Trees

Some people may wonder which palm tree costs the most and the answer to that question is the coco de Mer palm tree. This tree costs more than any other palm tree in the entire world and you can expect to spend anywhere between $300 and $10,000 to buy one.

Palm trees are most often associated with tropical beaches as well as very hot climates that are full of sunshine, but some of them can survive in colder temperatures and even snow and ice. Most of those are grown as potted plants, though, and are part of landscaping setups.

Many palm trees can produce fruits other than coconut in dates, such as Taro, sugar cane, and even bananas. in other words, palm trees are not just for looking pretty but are very useful in today’s world.

According to Homestratosphere, scientists believe that there are a total of 2,600 different species of palm trees throughout the world and most of them are located in tropical as well as subtropical and warmer climates.