These palm-tree-inspired wind turbines are designed to bend in hurricanes. The design allows the turbines to be much larger than before—and that could cut the cost of wind power by 20%.

Meanwhile, think of a palm tree. They have no wide-spreading branches, rather huge leaves with a central, flexible spine – like enormous feathers, notes Metcalfe.

But plopping a wind turbine the size of the Empire State Building into the ocean is tricky. It has to withstand hurricane-force winds and be lightweight to keep operations efficient and long-lasting.

Also known as the Chinese windmill palm, the windmill palm tree (Trachycarpus fortunei) is one of the toughest trees you can try. Suitable for USDA zones 8-10, it benefits from being both cold ...

Palm tree gets a new look with bare trunk. Updated: Aug. 31, 2012, 4:50 p.m. ... Windmill palm (Trachycarpus fortunei) is by far the most common palm planted in Portland.

Also, a tree with lots of branches and foliage tends to catch more wind than a well-pruned tree. Last, you might see a lot of smaller, younger trees knocked down.

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts. If ‘cold hardy’ is not the first characteristic one associates ...

That's why when you see TV news people broadcasting from a hurricane-swept shore, you almost always see palm trees bending – but not breaking – in the wind. Reach Clay Thompson at clay ...

"The palm tree gets as much wind as all the other trees, but it knows how to bend, it knows how to flex," says Megan Kissinger, a wildlife artist and native Floridian who lives and paints palms in ...

A new wind turbine inspired by a palm tree, big as the Empire State Building . Molly Wood Oct 22, 2018. Wind turbines towering over deserts usually produce 5 megawatts of power each.