Black Palm
Comments(2) Black Palm is one name for this nasty jungle tree, but it’s known by a lot of others, especially if you are unfortunate enough to brush up against one. Panama has a wide variety of trees such as the tall Robles with its pink, flowery petals. And the giant Corotú, that is great for shade. You can even find square tress in El Valle. Panama’s most recognizable trees are the curved coconut palms we see near beaches, the fronds blowing gently in the wind.
But there are about two-thousand varieties of palm. One of those is the memorable black palm. On its trunk thousands of long, sharp needles grow straight out. It you simply brush by one, the needles will penetrate your shirt or pants, and embed in your skin. If you don’t get the broken barbs out, the area will fester and get infected rather quickly. Even dead black palms can be dangerous. If you step over a fallen one, you need to make sure you step as far over it as you can, or else the needles will go right through your boots. Typically while in the jungle you may only see a few black palm trees which you can easily avoid. Only once did I come across a small forest of black palms that I had to go through. It was a nightmare of needles and I was pulling out barbs for days.
If you see this tree during your travels, it’s best to avoid it if possible.
Black Palms
