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 — that is 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.
