palmetto

/ˈpɑ(l)ˌmɛdoʊ/

/pælˈmɛtəʊ/

Other forms: palmettos; palmettoes

A palmetto is a type of palm tree. You're most likely to see palmettos in South America or the southern US states, instead of say Nebraska.

A palmetto (the "cabbage palmetto, to be specific) is Florida's official state tree, and South Carolina is known as "the palmetto state." Palmettos are fan palms, with leaves in the shape of fans that are arranged in a rounded shape. The very middle of the palmetto plant is edible, and when it's harvested and sold as food, it's called "heart of palm." Palmetto comes from the Spanish palmito, "little palm tree."

Definitions of palmetto

1. noun

   any of several low-growing palms with fan-shaped leaves
   types:

   Sabal palmetto, cabbage palm, cabbage palmetto

   low-growing fan-leaved palm of coastal southern United States having edible leaf buds

   type of:

   fan palm

   palm having palmate or fan-shaped leaves