How many palm trees are in the world?

California is full of palms these days. It was not always like that. Only one species of palm is native to the state: The California Fan Palm (scientific name: Washingtonia filifera). From early on in California's history, people have realized that the sunny mediterranean climate would suit many additional types of palm trees. Some people brought palms from the east coast (Sabal palms, Butia palms, Royal palms), some brought palms from Europe (Date palms, European Fan palms), some brought palms from Asia (Windmill palms, Chinese Fan palms), and some more brought palms from Mexico (Mexican Fan palms). All of these different palm species added to the "palmy" environment Californians love so much today.