Palm identification

[Oppido]

Hi, going on Google Maps in a town not too far away I found a palm that I could not identify and that seems to me Roystonea Regia or Howea Forsteriana. However I ask for the intervention of those who are more expert than me. Can you identify it?

https://maps.app.goo.gl/Z9bSt3JhK5EK9NWZ7 (I am referring to the palm tree that has slightly burnt leaves)

Thanks a lot

[aabell]

Howea for sure with the green ringed trunk.

[Oppido]

Thanks for the reply. Now could you tell me the names of these palms? On one side I see Roystonea Regia, Syagrus Romanzoffiana and a probable date palm, but the ones I can't recognize are those in the foreground.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/8xtYzgHJJBmubvzv8
Thanks again

[勝己爆]

On 5/4/2025 at 10:31 PM, Oppido said:

Thanks for the reply. Now could you tell me the names of these palms? On one side I see Roystonea Regia, Syagrus Romanzoffiana and a probable date palm, but the ones I can't recognize are those in the foreground.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/8xtYzgHJJBmubvzv8
Thanks again

I haven't written in a long time, but I'm reading a lot.
Please keep in mind that I'm not an expert, so someone can correct me if I'm wrong. To me, the first one looks like an azure palm (I don't remember the exact scientific name, but it might be Bismarckia nobilis if I'm not mistaken), and the second one looks like a coconut palm. The leaves look too similar. I also took a map tour in the same area some time ago (https://maps.app.goo.gl/2ppQ7EjczA7ZSdkS6 to be exact). In 2010, there was another palm tree that I think is actually cocos nucifera, not H. Forsteriana (from the shape of the leaves).

I hope I didn't say anything stupid, if so, excuse me.

Greetings

[Oppido]

On 5/9/2025 at 7:54 PM, 勝己爆 said:

I haven't written in a long time, but I'm reading a lot.
Please keep in mind that I'm not an expert, so someone can correct me if I'm wrong. To me, the first one looks like an azure palm (I don't remember the exact scientific name, but it might be Bismarckia nobilis if I'm not mistaken), and the second one looks like a coconut palm. The leaves look too similar. I also took a map tour in the same area some time ago (https://maps.app.goo.gl/2ppQ7EjczA7ZSdkS6 to be exact). In 2010, there was another palm tree that I think is actually cocos nucifera, not H. Forsteriana (from the shape of the leaves).

I hope I didn't say anything stupid, if so, excuse me.

Greetings

Thanks for the reply.

I would like further confirmation that it is a coconut palm and perhaps not one that looks very similar.

[JohnStraz]

from the pic i saw, the one in the foreground is a Kentia forstoriana and the palm in the back is a Washingtonia robusta

[Motlife]

Im not an expert, and it's hard to tell with the fence in the foreground, but the blue fan palm looks like bismarkia to me, although it could be Brahea armata too. Is the coconut looking one just to the right of that? Bring southern Italy it's almost certainly not a coconut. Could be a parajubaea, or a beccariophoenix potentially. Or maybe a not very happy majestic. Why not knock and ask the owner? They look like they're collecting palms so would probably know, and you could get a photo of the whole thing! 

[pietropuccio]

From left to right in the foreground Bismarckia nobilis, Ravenea rivularis and Dypsis decaryi. The Cocos is impossible in the south Italy.

[Oppido]

Hello, I have a new report of a possible coconut palm in the Piana di Gioia Tauro area. A guy from Galatro said, in a forum dedicated to the weather in the Piana di Gioia Tauro to which I am subscribed, that an acquaintance of his has had a coconut palm in his garden since 2019. He said that it was planted in the ground in October 2019 starting from a plant purchased from a local nursery, and from the winter of 2019/2020 to the winter of 2021/2022 it was protected with nylon and TNT, while from the winter of 2022/2023 to today it has survived without protection. He also reported that in that particular area the winter temperatures generally always rise above +17/18°C in the maximums and generally do not fall below +9°C. So he posted the photo he took of the alleged coconut palm and then another user told me to show it here on Palmtalk to verify the authenticity of the palm and rule out the possibility that it is a Howea or Roystonea or similar species. What do you think, could it be a coconut palm?

The first is the palm in question, while the other images come from the forum.

[gyuseppe]

On 5/4/2025 at 5:56 PM, Oppido said:

Hi, going on Google Maps in a town not too far away I found a palm that I could not identify and that seems to me Roystonea Regia or Howea Forsteriana. However I ask for the intervention of those who are more expert than me. Can you identify it?

https://maps.app.goo.gl/Z9bSt3JhK5EK9NWZ7 (I am referring to the palm tree that has slightly burnt leaves)

Thanks a lot

welcome among us, italian friend! i live near napoli-italy

[Oppido]

24 minutes ago, gyuseppe said:

welcome among us, italian friend! i live near napoli-italy

Thanks a lot buddy. ☺️Sometimes I would like to know what tropical species can be grown in your area👍

[gyuseppe]

I can grow many species, all made from seeds, I made some of my plants towards the end of the 80s

 

 

[勝己爆]

13 hours ago, Oppido said:

Hello, I have a new report of a possible coconut palm in the Piana di Gioia Tauro area. A guy from Galatro said, in a forum dedicated to the weather in the Piana di Gioia Tauro to which I am subscribed, that an acquaintance of his has had a coconut palm in his garden since 2019. He said that it was planted in the ground in October 2019 starting from a plant purchased from a local nursery, and from the winter of 2019/2020 to the winter of 2021/2022 it was protected with nylon and TNT, while from the winter of 2022/2023 to today it has survived without protection. He also reported that in that particular area the winter temperatures generally always rise above +17/18°C in the maximums and generally do not fall below +9°C. So he posted the photo he took of the alleged coconut palm and then another user told me to show it here on Palmtalk to verify the authenticity of the palm and rule out the possibility that it is a Howea or Roystonea or similar species. What do you think, could it be a coconut palm?

The first is the palm in question, while the other images come from the forum.

Greetings. I have relatives in Siderno who are passionate about meteorology and botany, so I have a great passion for exotic and tropical plants that can be grown in Italy. I also get very happy when I see enthusiasts who try to grow plants that at first glance seem impossible to grow. My parents, who live in Siderno, have already tried Lidl's coconut palm, but it died in the first winter (they tried it in 2017, and it immediately experienced a freak freeze event, which caused it to die quickly). But it is also true that, as my parents say, in the areas around Gioia Tauro and Palmi, in Scilla and Tropea / Capo Vaticano, the temperatures are much higher than on the east coast, so it is theoretically possible to try plants that cannot be grown in Siderno. Now, regarding the coconut palm that your friend posted, I must be honest with you, it looks very real to me. That is, when I look at the leaves and the trunk, it reminds me more of a coconut palm than a hawea, a roystonea, a seagrass or a beccariofenix, but as with any other image, I would like to leave this point to the true experts.

4 hours ago, gyuseppe said:

I can grow many species, all made from seeds, I made some of my plants towards the end of the 80s

 

 

Hello Gyuseppe. I read the discussion you posted, which I had not read before. I was wondering if it is possible to grow delicate ornamental palms such as Howea Forsteriana, Chamaedorea Elegans, Roystonea Regia outdoors in Naples (which I have heard has a very "hot" climate, even in winter). Also, have you tried other exotic species such as Artocarpus Heterophyllus, Ananas Comosus, Carica Papaya, Mangifera Indica?

I'm sorry if my English isn't perfect.

Greetings

[gyuseppe]

al  my somy English is not perfect either, among the plants mentioned I have chamaedorea, howea and pineapple(ananas)

[pietropuccio]

The desire to have a coconut palm is such that you see it even where there is none. 😀

The one in the photo is certainly not a Cocos nucifera, for its general appearance it could be a Beccariophoenix alfredii which for commercial reasons is called "high plateau coconut palm", but which has only a distant resemblance to the coconut.

[Oppido]

46 minutes ago, pietropuccio said:

The desire to have a coconut palm is such that you see it even where there is none. 😀

The one in the photo is certainly not a Cocos nucifera, for its general appearance it could be a Beccariophoenix alfredii which for commercial reasons is called "high plateau coconut palm", but which has only a distant resemblance to the coconut.

Well, then I'll immediately report it to that guy Galatro, otherwise he'll be thinking about it for nothing.😂
Anyway, can I know how to recognize a coconut palm, compared to all the other palms? In this way I can avoid that I (and also the other enthusiasts I talk to) can confuse a generic palm with a coconut palm (this is about the third/fourth time that I've made these blunders🤣).

In any case, thank you very much pietropuccio, for giving your opinion on this palm.

[gyuseppe]

2 hours ago, pietropuccio said:

The desire to have a coconut palm is such that you see it even where there is none. 😀

The one in the photo is certainly not a Cocos nucifera, for its general appearance it could be a Beccariophoenix alfredii which for commercial reasons is called "high plateau coconut palm", but which has only a distant resemblance to the coconut.

thanks Pietro for identification
grazie Pietro per l'identificazione

[tim_brissy_13]

3 hours ago, pietropuccio said:

The desire to have a coconut palm is such that you see it even where there is none. 😀

The one in the photo is certainly not a Cocos nucifera, for its general appearance it could be a Beccariophoenix alfredii which for commercial reasons is called "high plateau coconut palm", but which has only a distant resemblance to the coconut.

If I saw the photo without any background into where it was I’d say it’s Cocos nucifera. The image isn’t so clear that I can zoom in on features to be sure, but it really doesn’t look like Beccariophoenix sp to me and it can’t really be anything else. I’d say it’s worth considering that it is a Cocos nucifera, a couple of years of protection after planting may have allowed the roots to spread and keep it healthy so far. 

[pietropuccio]

20 hours ago, tim_brissy_13 said:

I’d say it’s worth considering that it is a Cocos nucifera, a couple of years of protection after planting may have allowed the roots to spread and keep it healthy so far

If it were that simple, the coasts of southern Italy would be full of coconuts!

Hi Oppido,
the request to recognize a plant from a single photo is a very common sport in forums and social networks, unfortunately, unless it is a very common species with particular characteristics, it is reduced to a waste of time. You certainly know the Archontophoenix alexandrae and cunninghamiana, but there are 4 other species, from a single photo of a young plant, like the unknown one, it is not possible to identify it, but if other photos of details are reported, such as the lower page of the leaflets, you might be able to identify the alexandrae or the cunninghamiana, or exclude them both. Excluding these two, the difficulties increase considerably, because to correctly identify the A. myolensis or tuckeri, you have to wait for flowering and fruiting.

For how to recognize a Cocos with strictly botanical tools, you can find many sites online, but fortunately if you look carefully and repeatedly at the many photos online, little by little you will pick up those details that will allow you to recognize it.
Below I have put the photo of the unknown palm, improved with AI, next to one taken from the internet, if you look very carefully you will notice the differences.

 

 

[tim_brissy_13]

3 hours ago, pietropuccio said:

If it were that simple, the coasts of southern Italy would be full of coconuts!

Hi Oppido,
the request to recognize a plant from a single photo is a very common sport in forums and social networks, unfortunately, unless it is a very common species with particular characteristics, it is reduced to a waste of time. You certainly know the Archontophoenix alexandrae and cunninghamiana, but there are 4 other species, from a single photo of a young plant, like the unknown one, it is not possible to identify it, but if other photos of details are reported, such as the lower page of the leaflets, you might be able to identify the alexandrae or the cunninghamiana, or exclude them both. Excluding these two, the difficulties increase considerably, because to correctly identify the A. myolensis or tuckeri, you have to wait for flowering and fruiting.

For how to recognize a Cocos with strictly botanical tools, you can find many sites online, but fortunately if you look carefully and repeatedly at the many photos online, little by little you will pick up those details that will allow you to recognize it.
Below I have put the photo of the unknown palm, improved with AI, next to one taken from the internet, if you look very carefully you will notice the differences.

 

 

I don’t really understand this post. While it is true that some species cannot be differentiated from one another at juvenile stage from a single photo (eg some Pritchardia and Archontophoenix sp as you mention other than cunninghamiana and purpurea) it is quite common on this forum for people to seek an ID from a photo and get a positive ID. 
 

From the photo above, clearly 99.9% of species can be ruled out. It can only really possibly be Cocos, Beccariophoenix sp or Jubaeopsis. I see inconsistencies with Beccariophoenix and Jubaeopsis. I’m pretty confident this is Cocos with a note that the picture quality isn’t the best. I’m basing the ID on petiole colour, frond shape, leaflet arrangement, growth habit and leaf base structure. Of course if you post side by side photos of two specimens of the same species you will find differences; every palm is different and a palm’’s appearance will vary depending on environmental factors too.
 

I’m not trying to comment on the viability of growing Cocos in Europe. Without knowing how it got there, how long it has been there or what is done to keep the palm alive, I’m simply saying that palm is very likely cocos nucifera. 

[gyuseppe]

14 minutes ago, tim_brissy_13 said:

I don’t really understand this post. While it is true that some species cannot be differentiated from one another at juvenile stage from a single photo (eg some Pritchardia and Archontophoenix sp as you mention other than cunninghamiana and purpurea) it is quite common on this forum for people to seek an ID from a photo and get a positive ID. 
 

From the photo above, clearly 99.9% of species can be ruled out. It can only really possibly be Cocos, Beccariophoenix sp or Jubaeopsis. I see inconsistencies with Beccariophoenix and Jubaeopsis. I’m pretty confident this is Cocos with a note that the picture quality isn’t the best. I’m basing the ID on petiole colour, frond shape, leaflet arrangement, growth habit and leaf base structure. Of course if you post side by side photos of two specimens of the same species you will find differences; every palm is different and a palm’’s appearance will vary depending on environmental factors too.
 

I’m not trying to comment on the viability of growing Cocos in Europe. Without knowing how it got there, how long it has been there or what is done to keep the palm alive, I’m simply saying that palm is very likely cocos nucifera. 

sorry tim, in italy you can't grow coconuts

[tim_brissy_13]

5 minutes ago, gyuseppe said:

sorry tim, in italy you can't grow coconuts

Like I said, I do understand that. Honestly the obsession with Cocos in unsuitable climates isn’t something I’m trying to encourage. All I’m saying is the palm in the photo is Covos with a high degree of confidence. I’ve never seen Beccariophoenix sp grow with such an open crown. If anyone can come up with an alternate ID I’d be happy to hear it, but I suspect anyone else looking at the image subjectively will come to the same conclusion I have.