Florida’s State Tree

Who could imagine anything but a palm tree representing sunny Florida? Because Florida was discovered near Easter, it was named for the Spanish Feast of the Flowers at Eastertime. Easter also conjures up images of “Palm Sunday.” Thus, some people have wondered if Florida’s name was inspired in part by palms. Palms have long been depicted on Florida’s seals.

But other species were proposed for adoption as the state tree. Some residents of northern Florida favored the slash pine (Pinus elliotii). The longleaf pine was also suggested, and a bill was introduced to adopt the “pine tree.”

Of Florida’s seven native pine species, four are important to the forest industry. The most important of these is the slash pine. When Floridians want to replant an area that’s been logged, they usually choose slash pine. But a flat tree farm is hardly as inspirational as a palm-studded beach.

A more surprising candidate was the Florida torreya, or gopherwood tree (Torreya taxifolia). It’s also known as the “stinking cedar”! It’s not even a common Florida tree, growing mostly in Gadsden and Liberty counties and next door in Georgia.

A State Palm

In 1949, the House of Representatives was on the right track when it endorsed the royal palm. The Federation of Garden Clubs agreed that palms are the trees that make Florida relatively unique. But their favorite palm was the sabal (Sabal palmetto), which was adopted in 1953.

Seminole Indians thatched their homes with sabal palmetto leaves. They also ate the bud.

Early Florida settlers, too, got food from the Sabal palm, or “swamp cabbage.” They also made forts out of its wood, which withstood arrows, bullets, and cannonballs. In fact, South Carolina adopted the sabal palmetto as its state tree because of its service in a famous battle.

Florida’s state tree is depicted on the state seal, which, in turn, appears on the state flag. However, the palm on the seal was originally a “cocoa” tree. Some people say it was actually a coconut, another palm not native to Florida.

In 1970, the government declared the palm on Florida’s state seal to be a Sabal palmetto.

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