Hugh Lowry, age 11, of Orlando, Fl a., for his question:

HOW TALL WILL A PALM TREE GROW?

Palm is the common name for a large order of woody plants and trees that are especially widespread in the tropical areas of the worla. There are about 3,500 members of the family around. They vary in size from only a few inches tall to a few varieties that grow to be 200 feet tall.

You'll find palms growing in parts of the United States, South America, Asia, Africa, the tropical islanos of the Pacific and Europe.

In the United States, the stately royal palm is founa lining many of Florida's roadways. In California and Arizona, the Washington palm grows wild while fan palms, or palmettos, are a common sight along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts as far north as the Carolinas.

Leaves of the palm range in size from those only a few inches in length to some that are 50 feet long. The fruit may be soft and as small as a bean, such as the fleshy date, or as haro and large as a football, like a coconut.