It is almost an automatic response when we see a palm tree, we immediatly take a picture and post it on social media. Can you tell what it is about it? Why out of all the exotic trees, plants and flowers the palm tree is the one that seems to resonate with all of us?
Well historically western societies have been fascinated with it for decades. We have long made a link between palm trees and far away destinations, exoticism and tranquility. In fact, Europeans and Americans alike have been so infatuated that we have found creative ways to incorporate them in our world. From gardening and our wardrobe to artistic interpretations and keychains palm trees have been the ultimate pop symbol of the modern age. We have seen them adorn the backyards of homes in Dallas next to plastic flamingos in the ‘60s, turned into print motifs on dresses and shirts re-invented and reproduced to this day even on neon sign for cocktail bars.
Two European capitals have actually taken advantage of the palm tree’s popularity to attract tourists. The first is Athens, in 2004 in preparation for that year’s Olympic Games, the government imported thousands in order to plant them all around the city. The other is Warsaw with its grand metal sculpture of a palm tree placed on a roundabout at the cross-section of Nowy Świat and Al. Jerozolimskie highways.
Nevertheless, the fact remains that even though we should be a little used to them by now, the picture of a palm tree still evokes feelings of admiration and drags up memories and subconscious desires of escape from the mundane. What’s even more impressive is that a post on social media featuring palm trees will be immediately and widely well-received with countless likes and comments. On Instagram alone, the hashtag #palmtrees compiles over 5 million pictures.
Why do we experience this aesthetic obsession and emotional attachment with palm trees? That might be one of the unanswered questions of humanity.
A simple obvious explanation could be that we have collectively registered the palm tree as a distant and yet familiar symbol that represents a set of idealistic moments and experiences that we wish we had. Then again more like a Freudian theory, it could represent human’s deep rooted need to reach the ideal. That may be why it was used metaphorically as a paragon to be imitated in the scripture: “The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree, He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon” psalm 92:12 or awarded in the form of a golden statuette at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.
No matter the reason palm trees undeniably titillate our fantasies so underneath we present a selection of the best palm tree Instagram posts to inspire your summer dreams.
by Thanos Arabatzis
