Syagrus romanzoffiana (Queen Palm)

Native to Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and northeastern Argentina, this fast-growing palm has a single smooth gray trunk and feathery, arching leaves. It can reach about 65 feet tall and is widely planted as an ornamental. Cream to pale yellow flowers grow in large branched clusters, followed by orange fruits that attract animals. It has naturalized in southern Queensland, Australia, where it is invasive and competes with native vegetation; it is also invasive on the North Coast of New South Wales. Flying foxes disperse its seeds but can become trapped in its leaves and flower sheaths. The fruits may be poisonous to dogs. Photographed in Colombia.