Q Are coconut palms banned in road landscaping projects in Florida? Fort Lauderdale is planting them along its beach as part of the State Road A1A upgrade while Hollywood is planting a different type of palm on the Broadwalk. I was told they were banned for some environmental reason.

Miriam Spiegel, Hollywood

Q Are coconut palms banned in road landscaping projects in Florida? Fort Lauderdale is planting them along its beach as part of the State Road A1A upgrade while Hollywood is planting a different type of palm on the Broadwalk. I was told they were banned for some environmental reason.

Miriam Spiegel, Hollywood

A. Hollywood wanted to plant coconut palms, but the state Department of Environmental Protection said "no" since the coconut palm isn't a native tree, said Hollywood spokeswoman Raelin Storey.

Any plantings or landscaping along the beach must be approved by the state.

When Hollywood officials asked how other cities were allowed to plant coconut palms along the beach, Storey said state officials responded that those cities either planted them without approval or had been granted permission before the state's policy changed.

The state gave Hollywood a choice of four types of palms to plant on the Broadwalk: cabbage, thatch, silver and buccaneer palms. Storey said the city chose the cabbage palm because it looked the best out of the four choices and provided the most shade.

Although coconut palms help Florida's beaches live up to their postcard image, some local governments avoid planting them because of the liability. To keep residents safe and avoid lawsuits, cities and counties cut down coconuts.