They are everywhere.

The royal palm tree (Roystonea regia) is on the emblem of Miami and is often used in advertisements. Picture the stereotypical palm tree, on an island somewhere. That's a royal palm. Royal palms shed a lot of fronds which is a total pain for the city.

This is a really neat article about the significance and the problem of palm trees in Miami. Money quote: ""If you come here as a tourist in January you certainly want to see palm trees," she said. "But in July in South Florida, you don't want to stand under a palm tree. Let's have a balance here, folks.""

Please add more information about:

• the history of palm trees in Miami
• the different kinds of palm trees that one might encounter in Miami
• common palm tree problems
• reasons why palm trees are great
• public perception of palm trees (do people love them? hate them? has public opinion changed over time?)