Boy, am I tired! I just knew you would all like to know that! I've been burning slash and tree limbs since early this morning and now that the fire is out I was too tired to move. So I started working on this project.

Question... How would you definitively identify a palm tree/bush? I have a probably 40-50 year old Mediterranean palm of some kind in my yard which is starting to bloom now. Flowers haven't quite opened yet but it is a neat plant. I can upload pictures to the 'plant database' if I could tell exactly what it is. I've narrowed it down to 'Chamaerops Humilis' or 'Trachycapus Fortunei'. The database shows a few different types of each of these but they have very few pictures to go by, some none at all and very little description.

So I've been looking at dozens of websites and a couple hundred images in the last 2 hours and now I'm just too tired to focus. I know it's politically incorrect to say this but now 'they just all look alike'! Shame on me! I thought it would be fairly easy because I thought the blooms would be a dead give away but online there are very, very few pictures of the blooms on any of them!

Anyway, I'm going to give it up for today and relax with a very tall, very cold cocktail. My burning is done for 2024. Yay, a years' worth of bio-char! But I will continue the search tomorrow after I finish my chores. If you have any suggestions how to identify this interesting plant they would be greatly appreciated. Happy gardening, everyone.
Debbie

Post a photo and we can help in the search.

Thank you Toedtoes. It really felt like I was spinning my wheels and getting nowhere fast. It was here when I bought the place. I think it's the mother with about 15 pups around her. I tried to get underneath and take the best pictures I could of the trunk and the flowers but ... She bites (sharp edges and thorns)... so I was very careful.

I think @Gina1960 would know.

Chamaerops humilis

Agree, looks like C. humilis. Positive ID after it sets mature fruit, which are orange balls

Wow, thank you all! I have never seen it fruit but I will watch for it. Thank you again.

C. humilis palm is usually dioecious (male and female flowers on separate plants).

Hi ScotTi,
I've spent the last hour researching. (and my break time is over, back to work....) Thank you very much for your input. Looks like you are correct and why I have never seen any fruit. I'm not going to pursue whether I have a male or female but I believe I have Chamaerops Humilis 'Nana'. And thank you all.