Life Amid the Palms

St. Augustine Florida has a balmy, humid climate. That's one reason this sort of thing can happen, they say.

This odd accompaniment is on the property of Bar Harbor Cheesecake Company. In the town's Historic District.

An oak tree began growing. Later, a palm seed made its way near the young oak. That palm tree also began to grow.

Palm trunks reach a maximal steady-state width. Once that's achieved, they begin upward growth. While an oak gains trunk girth with each year.

This oak began "enveloping" areas of the palm's trunk!

Endemic to islands in the Seychelles, this Palm Tree Grows Fruit that's generated legends through the years! Several are attached to this largest palm tree fruit of all. In fact, it contains the biggest seed in the entire plant kingdom!

Also called the Love Nut & Sea Coconut.

It's officially Lodoicea maldivica. The pith of the fruit is very dense. Making it quite a heavy seed. See its weird shape...

Sometimes Called the Double Coconut

WEIRD DETAILS FOR THIS PALM'S PARTS

Coco de Mer has separate male & female trees. The two make "babies" mostly with the help of wind. Local snails & geckos like their flowers. They're also probably pollination helpers.

• Taller male palms produce a 6-ft (1.83m) long catkin inflorescence. It's 3 inches (91.4 cm) thick. Scattered tiny star-like flowers appear on the surface.
• Inflorescence branches of the shorter female have the largest blooms of the palm world!

Take a look at the male inflorescence. Then remember the look of the fruit produced. You'll perhaps figure out other legends for this palm!

Yes - This is True!

Imagine walking leisurely through a nice trail in Belize, or along the tropical coast of Mexico. Up ahead you see crowns of palm fronds.

You'll be heading through a nice palmy grove!

Nice view of palms from afar. But watch - because it's armed!

BUT WAIT!

As you get closer, it gets scary. Yikes, there are a million spikes!!

Dangerous Palm!

Zombies have been a thing lately. Lots of shows & flicks with zombies attacking & scaring the life out of everybody. Have you seen any? We've watched a few.

Well, meet the Zombie Palm: Zombia antillarum. Native to Hispaniola, also having spines. On matted multiple clustering trunks.

A Zombie Palm Tree Has Been Set Loose!

REALLY? A PALM ZOMBIE!

The genus word "Zombia" actually comes from the Haitian Creole language for this palm. In that Official Language of Haiti, the people call it latanier zombi. Which means Ghost Palm. Something else that makes it scarier still! But maybe only because it produces  "ghostly" white fruit?

Scary palm spikes on the trunk of the Zombia antillarum - That's Certainly Unnerving!