Palm is a group of trees, vines, and shrubs that grow in warm and wet climates, especially in the tropical rainforest. Palms are very important plants in tropical regions because they provide food, drink, fibers, and building materials for people.

There are more than 2,800 kinds of palms, and they vary greatly in size and the kind of flowers, leaves, and fruits they produce.

Palms are an ancient group of plants. Fossils of palm leaves have been found that date from the Age of Reptiles. Palms once grew in all parts of the world, and palm fossils have been found as far north as Greenland. Some palms live more than 100 years.

Most palms grow straight and tall and have fanlike leaves clustered at the top of the trunk. A few kinds have a strawlike "skirt" of dead leaves that hangs down along the trunk.

Palms provide shade, building materials and fuel for people. Fibers for making ropes and brooms are made from the palm. Strips of leaves are woven into mats, hats, and baskets. Oil for food and lighting comes from palm.

The palm is most important to the people who live in the tropics. But people in other parts of the world also depend on palms for many useful products. The dried oily meat of the coconut is used to add flavor to cakes. Its rich oil is used in soap, salad oils, cooking fats, and margarine. Oil from the oil palm is used in cosmetics and in creams and ointments. Many baskets and chair bottoms are woven from strips of palm leaves.