Silicified palm wood is a fossilized material formed when silica-rich water infiltrates organic plant matter, replacing cellular structures with chalcedony. Collectors prize it for the distinct 'starburst' or 'dot' patterns visible in cross-sections, which are actually the fossilized vascular bundles of the palm plant.
Is this silicified palm wood?
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 silicified palm wood with a known reference. Silicified Palm Wood sits at Mohs 6.5-7, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Name the organismDecide what left the fossil before worrying about the rock. Organism: Extinct palm (genus Palmoxylon). Age: Late Cretaceous to Miocene (about 84.9 to 11.6 million years ago).
- 3Check the preservationPreservation: Replaced by silica, with prominent rod-like structures. That controls the weight, the hardness and how the piece takes a polish.
- 4Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: waxy.
- 5Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: brown, tan, black, white, red.
Often confused with
Silicified Palm Wood vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside silicified palm wood
Minerals reported to co-occur with silicified palm wood. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Mohs hardness
- 6.5-7
- Density
- 2.6-2.7 g/cm³
- Luster
- Waxy
- Transparency
- Translucent
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Lapidary, Collector, Decorative
- Host rock
- sedimentary deposits
- Organism
- Extinct palm (genus Palmoxylon)
- Age
- Late Cretaceous to Miocene (about 84.9 to 11.6 million years ago)
- Preservation
- Replaced by silica, with prominent rod-like structures
Where rockhounds find silicified palm wood
2 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Texas, USA
- Louisiana, USA
- Mississippi, USA
- Indonesia
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: sedimentary deposits. If you start seeing quartz, chalcedony in float, you are in the right ground. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in Louisiana. Start trip planning there.
More silicified palm wood photos
Common questions
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Find silicified palm wood on the map
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