Tuesday, May 09, 2006

Artificial Palm Trees

Artificial palm trees work well in offices, homes, restaurants and hotels because they are artificial and need little if any care. Adding a touch of nature to indoor décor is popular these days, and palm trees are being used in homes and businesses throughout the United States.

Artificial palm trees look like natural palms, and all you need to do is pay for it and bring it home. There is no worrying about watering, trimming or fertilizing and no qualms about the tree getting too big for its location.

An artificial palm tree has a fake trunk that acts as a central support, an external covering to disguise the real material used for the trunk and detachable fronds. The fake trunk is affixed to a plane base that supports the entire tree. Artificial palms are made from a wide variety of materials including plastic, canvas, steel, fiberglass and preserved palm. For example, the fronds of North River artificial palms are made of poly blend plastic that is durable in rough weather. The trunks are pressure-treated pine, making the palm look natural, but very inexpensive. Other trunk materials like steel or fiberglass cost more, do not retain the natural appearances of a live palm tree and have shorter a lifespan. They are dug into the ground or into a pot and will stay in direct contact with the ground for many years.

Artificial palm trees costs from $50 to $1000, depending upon the species. Artificial palms are as varied as the natural plant with the palm type, foliage span, average trunk diameter, height and weight taken into consideration. For example, an indoor royal coconut palm and a Polynesian palm differ from each other in that their trunks are made of wood and fiberglass respectively with diameters 7 and 9 inches.

Artificial palms can also be potted into containers just like real trees. This can be done in a plastic pot by taping up the holes, mix weights for stone, brick or rock and then using expanding foam to cement the tree into the pot. After potting, the plant can be transferred into a decorative container and your indoor plant is ready for display.