Faux Palm trees and plants, including outdoor faux Palm trees and plants, can be used for many kinds of commercial projects and are particularly great for expressing tropical design themes. Palms have a long and distinguished history and have been a useful resource for people since the dawn of humankind. Today, the meaning of palm trees to people is very clear: palms mean relaxation, sandy beaches, and fruity drinks with little umbrellas. From these associations, faux Palm trees and plants make for powerful design touch points for indoor and outdoor palm themes.
Common Palm Name:
Arecaceae or Palmae
Related Palm Tree Species
Areca, Bamboo, Fishtail, Kentia, Sago, Raffia, Date, Coconut, Panama Hat, Royal Palm, Rhapis, Fan Palm, Cycas, Phoenix Palm, Robellini, Paradise Palm
Faux Palm Tree Heritage
In general terms, a Palm tree is distinguished by the large, evergreen colored leaves at the top of an unbranched stem. Many Palms are exceptions to this, however, as a quick study of the diversity of palm species shows. They can be shrubs, trees or vines. Palm leaves can be palmate, (a fan shape resembling a human hand) or pinnate (feather-like leaves), though they are always spirally arranged at the top of the stem. Today, faux Palm trees and plants can be produced to look even more authentic than real palms!
The Areca Palm is the most popular indoor palm plant. It adds a touch of exotic beauty to any room while being an excellent air purifier by removing acetone, methyl and ethyl from the atmosphere. The Areca prefers a lot of light, yet its leaves will turn yellow with too much sun. The stem is ringed, and about 3-5 inches in diameter. They are similar in appearance to artificial Bamboo Palm trees
, and the stems can grow up to 25 feet tall!
Fishtail palm trees can easily grow up to 20-25 feet tall as well. They are native to Southern Asia, but are a very popular indoor plant, where they flourish in combinations of direct sunlight and shade. Another palm, the Kentia, is also popular because it is easy to tend to -- It is cold hardy, meaning that it is tolerant to freeze. Today’s technology allows an artificial Areca Palm
, artificial Fishtail Palm
, and artificial Kentia Palm
to look just like the real thing.
Faux Palm Tree Regions
Most Palm trees grow in a tropical climate. In the US, they are common in Florida, Arizona, California, and other southern states. The types of Palms that are found in one place can be very diverse. It is thought that wet, lowland tropical forests have the highest diversity of Palm trees, like in Madagascar. More than two thirds of Palm species live in the tropics, but other species can grow in other habitats. Some types can grow in tropical mountain areas and are native to the Andes Mountains. Other Palms have been planted outdoors as far north as Oregon, Washington and British Columbia, where they can survive because the ocean has a warming effect on them. They can also live in grasslands and even deserts. Overall the global reach of faux Palm trees and plants convincingly demonstrates how powerful they can be when used in design themes.
Faux Palm Tree Uses
Because there are so many different species, there is a wide array of uses. First of all, there is the most widely thought of byproduct to palm trees: the coconut, which comes from the Coconut Palm tree. As most know, coconuts grow high in the crown of leaves at the top of the Palm. Palm fruit is edible and a healthy symbol of tropical warmth. The fruit of the Areca Palm, called the betel nut, is often chewed along with the leaf for intoxicating effects. Palm oil is produced from the oil palms, which is an edible vegetable oil that can be used for cooking. Heart of Palm is harvested from several different Palms, which is a popular vegetable commonly eaten in salads. More recently, the fruit of the Acai Palm (the acai berry) has been used for its health benefits.
Palms are not only known for their food. Rattans, which are used to make furniture and baskets come from the Rattan Palm. Coir, which is the fiber that comes from the hard outer shell of the coconut, is used for doormats, brushes and ropes. Also, Panama hats are woven from leaves of the Panama Hat palm.
Types of Faux Palm Trees and Plants
As discussed, faux Palm trees and plants are used widely to create tropical environments in landscape design. They give off an airy, outdoor vacation-like feel. The tree leaves, or fronds, can be used for decoration in two ways: preserved, where they are taken from an actual Palm tree and dipped in a solution to be “frozen” in that state. Or, they can also be be fabricated from silk and plastic, which just so happens to be a less expensive option. Both faux options are proven and convincing aesthetic elements for designers.