Florida thatch palm

The Essence

"Thrinax radiata, the Florida thatch palm, is the archetypal Caribbean 'thatch palm', its fronds the traditional roofing of rural houses across its range. A slender, solitary, unarmed fan palm typically 3–6 m tall (stems can reach 12 m), it grows on sandy, calcareous coastal soils — even on exposed limestone close to the sea — from southern Florida and the Bahamas across the northern Caribbean to the eastern Yucatán Peninsula, Belize, Honduras and Nicaragua. Arching inflorescences of small white bisexual flowers appear year-round, peaking in spring, and palms may begin flowering at only about 1.8 m tall; the white globose fruits, 7–8 mm across, instantly separate Thrinax from the look-alike Coccothrinax, whose fruits are black or yellow. The fruits are eaten by birds, and the seeds are dispersed by bats, spider monkeys, toucans, armadillos and deer. Growth is very slow — roughly 15 cm of height a year — yet individuals are reported to live up to 150 years. Globally assessed as Least Concern, the species is nonetheless state-listed as Endangered in Florida, where it is rare at the northern edge of its range, and harvesting is restricted in Mexico. Very drought tolerant and highly resistant to salt spray, it is commonly planted in oceanside landscaping in South Florida (USDA zones 10b–11a)."

Its fronds are the traditional roof thatch of rural houses and are also woven into hats, baskets and brooms, used in handicrafts and for wrapping food; trunks have recently been used in the Yucatán to build lobster traps. On Florida's Elliott Key, the invasive Mexican gray squirrel (Sciurus aureogaster) kills palms by stripping their fibers for nests and eating the plants.