In many North American churches, the palms for Palm Sunday usually come from growers in Florida, Texas, the Gulf Coast of Mexico, and sometimes California.

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Quick Scoop

They are harvested, sorted, and shipped by palm suppliers well before Holy Week, then blessed and distributed in church.

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Where they come from

  • Mostly from tropical and subtropical growing regions, especially Florida and Texas.
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  • Some churches use local branches instead, such as olive or willow, depending on what grows nearby.
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  • In some parishes, the palms may even come from trees on church property or nearby nurseries.
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Why palms are used

Palm branches recall the biblical account of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, when crowds laid branches on the road to honor him.

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A small extra detail

The palms blessed on Palm Sunday are often saved and later burned for Ash Wednesday ashes.

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If you want, I can also turn this into a shorter social-style answer or a more formal church-history version.