Types of Palm Species:

Canary Island Date Palm (Phoenix canariensis)

Sydney Palms has an experienced team which specialises in pruning Canary Island Date Palms. Extreme caution and protective equipment is worn to avoid the sharp needles located at the base of leaf petioles.Dust masks, helmets, gloves, jackets and long work trousers are worn during pruning and removal operations.  

Leaves are handled from the non-spikey leaf tips and under no circumstances are tree workers allowed to enter the drop zone beneath the tree during leaf pruning and crown shaping. Extra caution is taken when handling dead leaves, as the spines of these leaves are drier inflexible and prone to break off when encourntering resistance.

For more Biology of the Canary Island Date Palm below is an extract from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_canariensis

Phoenix canariensis is a species in the palm family Arecaceae, native to the Canary Islands. It is a relative of Phoenix dactylifera, the true date palm. It is a large solitary palm, 10-20(-40) m tall. The leaves are pinnate, 4–6 m long, with 80-100 leaflets on each side of the central rachis. The fruit is an oval, yellow to orange drupe 2 cm long and 1 cm diameter and containing a single large seed; the fruit pulp is edible but too thin to be worth eating. The most used common name in English is "Canary Island Date Palm".

Phoenix canariensis, the canary island date palm tree, is also widely known as the Pineapple Palm. The palm tree is easily recognized through its crown of leaves and trunk characteristics. When they are pruned properly, the bottom of the crown, also called the nut, appears to have a pineapple shape. It's not uncommon to see Canary Island Date palms, pruned and trimmed to enhance the appearance. The Canary Island Date Palm is very widely planted as an ornamental plant in warm temperate regions of the world, particularly in areas with Mediterranean climates. It can be cultivated where temperatures never fall below -10/-12 °C for extended periods, although it will require some protection if cold periods are longer than normal. It is a slow growing tree, exclusively propagated by seed.

Uses:

In the Canary Islands, the sap of this date palm is used to make palm syrup and the different parts of the palm are used in a number of ways. La Gomera is where most of the sap is produced in the Canary Islands.

Invasiveness:

In some mediterranean and subtropical countries, P. canariensis has proven to be an invasive plant. In New Zealand, it has invaded a range of habitats. New Zealand's Landcare Research has classified the palm as a 'sleeper weed' - "a plant that spreads slowly and goes unnoticed until it becomes widespread". In Auckland, New Zealand, the palm has itself become a host for the naturalised Australian strangler fig, Ficus macrophylla.