Palm Trees belong to Palmae family also known as Arecaceae. Palms are among the best known and extensively cultivated plant families. There are around 202 currently known genera and 2,500 different palm tree species in the world, most of which are restricted to tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate climates..
Palm Trees usually are described by its appearance and cold tolerance. They can be separated into few major types depending on their trunk, leaf structure, growth rate, size, and cold tolerance. Aside from these basic segregations, palms also differ in salt and drought tolerance, leaf color, fruit and flower production.
Of the 2500 or so species of recognized palms present in the world today, only a mere twelve occur naturally in Florida. One of these is the Sabal Palmetto, also known as the cabbage palm tree.
The Cabbage Palm Tree has gained popularity because it is very durable and will tolerate a wide variety of soil and weather conditions.
The Sabal palmetto is the state "tree" for both Florida and South Carolina.