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“The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree …… And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell not …..”
(Ps 92:12; Matt 7:25)
Throughout the Bible, believers are likened to various tree types, signifying the strength, longevity, productivity, visibility, and vitality a relationship with God accords.
Palm trees are well known and regarded for their beauty, longevity, durability, ubiquity, socioeconomic utility, and survivability, especially through violent storms. They are usually the only vegetation left standing after hurricanes, tsunamis, cyclones, etc. have blasted through a region; other plants tend to be utterly devastated and destroyed. Scientists reveal that they have three distinct characteristics which help them survive any weather condition, including the most severe:
An Unusual System of Interconnected Roots – Social Networking Gone Aright
Oaks and other large trees generally have deep and substantial roots which extend a few meters underground, but palm trees have a different kind of root system.
Most palm trees have a large number of short roots that work to transport large amounts of nutrients to the rest of the tree. These roots spread over the top layers of the soil and cause the tree to secure a large surface area within its “grip”, resulting in a rigid, robust anchor. As the tree grows larger and heavier, this vast network of roots creates an unbreakable foundation that keeps the tree in place. When violent storms hit, the forces exerted by the strong winds and atmospheric pressures naturally transfer down to its multi-directionally splayed roots, thus reinforcing its remarkable stability.
Colossians 2:6-7 strongly enjoins believers to continually root themselves in Christ the same way they received Him, i.e. “ … having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the Word of God which lives and abides forever ….” We are to allow the Word of God to germinate and take root in our hearts; thus establishing (rooting) us more thoroughly in Christ. Ephesians 3:16-19 espouses the same concept using God’s love as the highly effective rooting tool.
The intricate network of the palm tree’s roots preempts its mechanical failure and prevents the tree’s toppling or uprooting during major storms. A similar intricacy is required of every believer’s foundation to survive the storms of life and prevent the resultant mechanical failures & threatened topples. Christ-followers must be intentional about establishing deeper intimacy and a greater sense of security in Him through the interconnected root system of His Word and His love. Thus anchored, the soul gains the stability needed to “weather” the most violent life storms, remaining rock-solid, unscathed and triumphant in their wake.
A Trunk Unorthodox, Fraught With Paradox ..
Palm trees are monocotyledons, i.e. grass-like flowering plants. They are not as woody as “regular” trees, meaning they have more in common with grass than with trees like oaks, which require free access to a constant water supply to thrive and build up their woody constituency.
Not so the palm; its elaborate root system results in a trunk with an entirely different consistency, allowing for the storage of water for many months and enabling its continuous and flagrant flourishing in the absence of steady streams of water. This is the secret behind its ability to thrive and survive in desert areas and is the reason Psalms 1:3 and Jeremiah 17:5-8 describe the victorious lives displayed by believers given to the Word. Regardless of their external state, their inward reservoir of the Word (see Eph 5:26; John 7:38) supplies them with the ongoing strength needed to survive and thrive in any circumstance; even trees in the desert appear as fresh and supple as those located by a steady water source ….. and they are!
Pine and oak trunks grow in a radial pattern; their annual rings form hollows inside one another, resulting in a stocky & woody consistency. Palm trunks consist of flexible foam-like compounds which resemble a large telephone cable network. These “sponges” provide a considerable amount of strength to support the weight above (compression strength), such that the palm’s trunk can readily support the heavy weight of its branches without bending or breaking.
The flexibility afforded by this dense internal spongy network confers a certain elasticity on many palm tree species; they can bend up to forty or fifty degrees without breaking or snapping. Some palm tree cells have such a high degree of flexibility and an ability to return to their original state after excessive bending that they are largely unbreakable by the usual forces of nature. Their unique structural constitution grants immense flexibility & recoverability that confers on them great resiliency; easily able to withstand the worst weather conditions.
Oaks and other trees are not as fortunate, their trunks can support the enormous weight of their branches but are not as flexible and thus not amenable to violent gusts of wind, thereby rendering their survival quite unpredictable or negligible.
3B Leaves – Big, Brilliant, & Branchless
Most trees have a dense network of branches and leaves that help maximize the absorption of sunlight for photosynthesis. Palms have fewer but much larger leaves which are quite unique.
In good weather, these leaves expand and form a beautiful, generous “canopy” at the top of the tree, which serves both ornamental and practical functions. In inclement weather, the leaves can fold in, reducing their surface area and significantly decreasing the overall air resistance of the tree to the strong winds. Trees with “regular” leaves do not fold and close in this way, and therefore offer greater resistance to strong winds, which in turn makes them quick subjects of severe splintering and destruction in the course of storms.
Most of the palm’s branches fall off during active growth, leaving only the uppermost branches intact when it reaches full height. This minimization limits the weight borne by its trunk. Furthermore, the reduced number of branches lessens the “load” on the tree’s exposure to strong winds. Fewer branches close to the treetop ensure that the severity of the tree’s movements is greatly reduced. This branchless pattern and brilliant posture the palm tree adapts provides reduced resistance to strong winds, obviating or minimizing damage. Palms are one of the only life forms found intact after the passage of a severe storm and can often boast of minimal if any impact.
It is my opinion that the back-and-forth oscillation of palm trees during inclement weather is not a representation of desperate staggering against the force of those currents, but rather a vivid portrayal of the dominion persona these trees innately possess. I think they take advantage of the tidal cascades to gleefully and masterfully frolic in and dance with the wind! Just like the eagle who takes advantage of torrential winds to soar seamlessly above the ruckus below, I believe the knowledge of their security and invincibility against any storm’s severity causes palms to cavort with reckless abandon, using the forces against them to work for them!
To the casual observer, their movements may appear as frenzied attempts at survival & stability, but to the insightful investigator, they are simply a spell-binding depiction of the palm’s inherent conviction, played out with graceful dignity, resplendent beauty, and imperial majesty – set against the backdrop of nature’s musical parody; gratified decadence and three-dimensional impudence in full display!
Are you unbreakable, constantly building your life on the solid foundations of God’s Word and His love – with intentionality, temerity, and in the full assurance of serenity, or are you swaying and staggering in the terror & uncertainty of life’s trials and tempests?
(Ps 92:12-15; Col 2:6-7; Eph 3:16-19; Matt 7:24-25; Matt 16:18)
Other References:
- Scienceabc.com/nature – How Do Palm Trees Survive Hurricanes and Cyclones?
- Wikipedia.org – Arecaceae
- Extension.colostate.edu – Healthy Roots and Healthy Trees