Palmetum
A palmetum is a collection of cultivated palms (Arecaceae) in the context of a botanical garden or arboretum.[1] Palmetums are used for the research, conservation, and public display of the members of the palm family.
History
The transplanting and conservation of palms has occurred since at least the 19th century for species which provide important natural resources (e.g., Corypha umbraculifera[2]). Europeans of the mid 19th century were particularly fascinated by palms, leading to the establishment of one of the first palm collections at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.[3]
Other early palmetums include Botanical Garden of Buitenzorg (Botanical Garden of Java) and Royal Botanic Gardens of Peradeniya in (Sri Lanka).
Places
Notable palmetums with large collections include:
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew - United Kingdom[4]
- Meise Botanic Garden - Belgium[4]
- Palmengarten der Stadt Frankfurt - Germany[4]
- Caracas Botanical Garden - Venezuela
- Jardín Botánico Francisco Javier Clavijero - Mexico
- Palmetum of Santa Cruz de Tenerife - Canary Islands[4]
- Montgomery Botanical Center - Florida, United States[4]
- Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden - Florida, United States[4]
- Lyon Arboretum - Hawaii, United States[4]
- Lakeside Palmetum - California, United States[5]
- Townsville Palmetum - Australia[4]
References
- ↑ "palmetum". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster. OCLC 1032680871. Retrieved 2026-08-17.
- ↑ Chandran, M.D.S. (1996). "Talipot: A forgotten palm of the Western Ghats". Resonance. 2: 69–75. doi:10.1007/BF02835215.
- ↑ Jones, Nigel (6 July 2020). "Palace of Palms: Tropical Dreams and the Making of Kew: an Interview With Kate Teltscher". Natural History Book Service.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Maunder, M.; Lyte, B.; Dransfield, J.; Baker, W. (2001). "The conservation value of botanic garden palm collections". Biological Conservation. 98 (3): 259–271. doi:10.1016/S0006-3207(00)00160-9.
- ↑ Dewees, Jason. "A Garden of Exceptional Palms". Pacific Horticulture.