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Wind-swept palm trees, their bending and waving said to be a visual indication of the force of the wind, are a typical image in news reports about hurricanes in southern US states. The most common species of palm in Florida, Dictyosperma album, is also known as the hurricane palm due to its ability to shed leaves in strong wind—so avoiding serious damage to its trunk. This natural safety mechanism seems rather drastic at first sight—after all, it is the characteristic shape of the leaves that identifies a palm tree as the signpost to beach paradise.