Petrified Palm is a fossilized plant material characterized by the distinct, star-like vascular bundles (often appearing as 'dots' or 'fibers') seen in cross-section. It forms when minerals like silica replace the organic structure of palm wood over millions of years, often resulting in highly polished lapidary material.
Is this petrified palm?
5-step field checkRun through these checks against the specimen in your hand. The more boxes tick, the more confident the ID.
- 1Test the hardnessTry to scratch petrified palm with a known reference. Petrified Palm sits at Mohs 6.5-7, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Petrified Palm leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Petrified Palm typically shows a vitreous luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: brown, tan, black, red, white, gray.
- 5Look at form & habitTypical habit: massive.
Often confused with
Petrified Palm vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside petrified palm
Minerals reported to co-occur with petrified palm. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- SiO₂
- Mohs hardness
- 6.5-7
- Density
- 2.6-2.7 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal habit
- Massive
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Lapidary, Collector, Decorative
- Host rock
- Sedimentary Strata
- Typical price
- $10-100 per specimen
Where rockhounds find petrified palm
3 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Texas
- Louisiana
- Arizona
- India
- Indonesia
Field-hunting tip
Look in sedimentary strata country, the host setting where petrified palm typically forms. If you start seeing quartz, chalcedony, opal in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a massive habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in New Mexico, Texas. Start trip planning there.
Common questions
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Find petrified palm on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
