Question
Are there any palm trees native to the United States?  If so, what are they and where did they grow?  Someone told me there are no native palm trees in the United States ,i.e., that people imported the first palm trees.  I have a hard time believing that Key West has no native palms.  

Answer
Of the 2700 or so species of recognized palms present in the world today, only a mere twelve occur naturally in Florida. If one considers extending the range to the whole of the United States, the number of American natives rises to a hefty fourteen. Among the Florida natives, a few range in the central region of the state and extend to the northern climes and are hence inherently suited for our growing conditions. However, a few hail from the southern locales and have had surprising success when grown in our gardens. It is the intent of the following article to list the Florida natives and to relay information on the natural range of these palms as well as the suitability for growing in the central Florida region. Information will be included regarding cold hardiness (a very subjective phenomenon), preferred growing conditions, and relative availability. Here is the web link for the Florida palms:http://www.plantapalm.com/centralfl/NewsNativePalms.asp
The other native palms are in Texas and Calif.