When Thomas "T" Diemer moved to New Orleans in 1988, he noticed the palm trees everywhere — especially the ones with bright orange fruit. “Once, even I stopped the car because a tree had so many and ...

For me, palm trees evoke thoughts of white sandy beaches, warm tropical breezes, and those little umbrella drinks. Widely swaying palm trees are featured in almost every hurricane scene on the news.

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about biodiversity and the hidden quirks of the natural world. A legendary “walking” tree has captivated rainforest ...