L.A.'s Palm Trees are Dying

[Matt in OC]

http://www.latimes.com/projects/la-me-palm-trees-dying-skyline-los-angeles/#nt=oft07a-3gp1

Pretty "doom and gloom," but at least it's educating the public.

[richnorm]

Thoroughly excellent article. Thanks for sharing.

[Gonzer]

 Not surprising considering LA's been slowly dying for years.

[Sandy Loam]

It seems silly that Chilean wine palms (jubaea) were used to replace a row of Canary Island date palms along Elysian (?avenue?) near dodger stadium.   The author complains that,  years later, those jubaea are still tiny and will not even grow a trunk for some time.   This is why jubaea might not have been a wise choice.  They are slow growers (except when hybridized with e.g. Butia).  Are jubaea totally resistant to the weevil beetle and Fusarium Wilt discussed in the article?

Aren't other drought-tolerant palms resistant to these pathogens, such as livistona mariae (desert native), livstona rigida (is this one also desert native?), and some of the Parajubaeas that grow on rocky Mountain sides with little moisture within reach.  I would love to see rows of pest-resistant livstona nitida in LA because they would eventually reach the same height as the current Washingtonia robusta and would keep LA looking like LA.   Can the average person really tell the difference between an avenue lined with 60 foot Washingtonia robusta, as opposed to a row of 60 foot tall livstona nitida?  I doubt it, but to my knowledge, livstona nitida are not particularly drought-tolerant, are they?

Also, isn't beccariophoenix alfredii supposed to be fairly drought tolerant, like many Madagascar species? 

What else gets tall, is pest and fungus-restistant, and is also drought tolerant?  (and will do well in Los Angeles zone 10 -to-11). Whatever it is, someone needs to pitch these alternatives to city government.  City government should also realize that its new effort to plant shade trees (which also are better carbondioxide sponges) is not mutually exclusive with planting pest-resistant palms.  A shade tree can stretch out around the tall trunk of a palm while the palm towers far overhead.   Even when planted as little as eight feet apart, alternating palms with shade trees in street landscaping would not be a bad idea.  It would eventually become a row of shade trees interspersed with a row of tall palms.  However, one should only do this with tall palm species which will eventually tower overhead.

Please feel free to disagree with me, anyone.

It is an interesting article and thanks for sharing it. It makes me wonder whether any streetside palms will remain in Los Angeles fifty years from now.

[Mike Evans]

The key is planting with diversity.  

[TexasColdHardyPalms]

3 hours ago, Sandy Loam said:

It seems silly that Chilean wine palms (jubaea) were used to replace a row of Canary Island date palms along Elysian (?avenue?) near dodger stadium.   The author complains that,  years later, those jubaea are still tiny and will not even grow a trunk for some time.   This is why jubaea might not have been a wise choice.  They are slow growers (except when hybridized with e.g. Butia).  Are jubaea totally resistant to the weevil beetle and Fusarium Wilt discussed in the article?

Aren't other drought-tolerant palms resistant to these pathogens, such as livistona mariae (desert native), livstona rigida (is this one also desert native?), and some of the Parajubaeas that grow on rocky Mountain sides with little moisture within reach.  I would love to see rows of pest-resistant livstona nitida in LA because they would eventually reach the same height as the current Washingtonia robusta and would keep LA looking like LA.   Can the average person really tell the difference between an avenue lined with 60 foot Washingtonia robusta, as opposed to a row of 60 foot tall livstona nitida?  I doubt it, but to my knowledge, livstona nitida are not particularly drought-tolerant, are they?

Also, isn't beccariophoenix alfredii supposed to be fairly drought tolerant, like many Madagascar species? 

What else gets tall, is pest and fungus-restistant, and is also drought tolerant?  (and will do well in Los Angeles zone 10 -to-11). Whatever it is, someone needs to pitch these alternatives to city government.  City government should also realize that its new effort to plant shade trees (which also are better carbondioxide sponges) is not mutually exclusive with planting pest-resistant palms.  A shade tree can stretch out around the tall trunk of a palm while the palm towers far overhead.   Even when planted as little as eight feet apart, alternating palms with shade trees in street landscaping would not be a bad idea.  It would eventually become a row of shade trees interspersed with a row of tall palms.  However, one should only do this with tall palm species which will eventually tower overhead.

Please feel free to disagree with me, anyone.

It is an interesting article and thanks for sharing it. It makes me wonder whether any streetside palms will remain in Los Angeles fifty years from now.

After visiting that park i understand what they are trying to do with the jubaea. Those cidp are very thick, towering pillars that are visually appealing and give that area a grand feeling just like the brentwood and beverly hills area.  A row of jubaea will keep this feeling of grandeur and then some in the future as they are one of the most beautiful palms in the world. From my understanding they are completely immune to fulsarium wilt. 

[Anthony_B]

People have strong opinions about palms.  It is surprising how many people HATE palm trees and feel they shouldn't be used to landscape people's homes.  I have heard a number of people state, "Enough with the palms.  Take them back to Florida and California where they belong."

This is a good article from an educational standpoint.  California has only one native palm, the Washingtonia Filifera, and it is a rare find, growing only in desert oases and along rivers in the southern part of the state (36 degrees latitude and lower).  Palms are not native to the California coast.  Like practically everything from California, their image is a fraud.

Next weekend, I am moving to Wilmington, North Carolina.  Those familiar with geography may know Wilmington is nearly adjacent to Bald Head Island, the most northern sabal palmetto forest in the US.  The wonderful thing about the Wilmington area is you see the native palms nearly everywhere - yards are frequently populated with sabal palmetto and sabal minor.  Much of this is out of necessity - you can't grow very many other palms in an 8A climate, unlike much of coastal California that can accommodate a wide variety - but the look is nice, consistent and feels right at home (butia's are very popular there but they look good with palmetto).

Why wouldn't California simple embrace its native palm?  Plant Washingtonia filifera's!  Problem solved!  They are made for California, and they are very fast growers, too!  It's off-putting to me that the state seems to have shunned its only native palm tree.  Even the Washingtonia varieties that are there are primarily robusta's.  If I were a mayor in one of the towns in that looney-tunes state I would begin an initiative to streetscape with filifera's in the way Charlteston has marvelously embraced its native sabal palmetto.

Edited September 23, 2017 by Anthony_B

[Josh-O]

11 hours ago, Gonzer said:

 Not surprising considering LA's been slowly dying for years.

[Josh-O]

seen lots of dead canary's in San Diego lately as well.

[Gonzer]

2 hours ago, Josh-O said:

lots of dead canary's in San Diego lately as well

Don't touch 'em! Probably Avian Bird Flu.

 

[Pete in Paradise Hills]

2 hours ago, Anthony_B said:

People have strong opinions about palms.  It is surprising how many people HATE palm trees and feel they shouldn't be used to landscape people's homes.  I have heard a number of people state, "Enough with the palms.  Take them back to Florida and California where they belong."

This is a good article from an educational standpoint.  California has only one native palm, the Washingtonia Filifera, and it is a rare find, growing only in desert oases and along rivers in the southern part of the state (36 degrees latitude and lower).  Palms are not native to the California coast.  Like practically everything from California, their image is a fraud.

Next weekend, I am moving to Wilmington, North Carolina.  Those familiar with geography may know Wilmington is nearly adjacent to Bald Head Island, the most northern sabal palmetto forest in the US.  The wonderful thing about the Wilmington area is you see the native palms nearly everywhere - yards are frequently populated with sabal palmetto and sabal minor.  Much of this is out of necessity - you can't grow very many other palms in an 8A climate, unlike much of coastal California that can accommodate a wide variety - but the look is nice, consistent and feels right at home (butia's are very popular there but they look good with palmetto).

Why wouldn't California simple embrace its native palm?  Plant Washingtonia filifera's!  Problem solved!  They are made for California, and they are very fast growers, too!  It's off-putting to me that the state seems to have shunned its only native palm tree.  Even the Washingtonia varieties that are there are primarily robusta's.  If I were a mayor in one of the towns in that looney-tunes state I would begin an initiative to streetscape with filifera's in the way Charlteston has marvelously embraced its native sabal palmetto.

The reason why they're not popular is they need their dead leaves pruned (expensive on a taller palm) or they develop the dead leaf skirt...

[GottmitAlex]

Last night I was watching a 1950's Socal tourism ad video on youtube. Palms in Socal were ubiquitous.

Landscape has changed, buildings have been replaced, dress code standards have been eradicated as well.

But the palms...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-l13UMBlkM

Edited September 24, 2017 by GottmitAlex

[Palm Tree Jim]

14 hours ago, Gonzer said:

 Not surprising considering LA's been slowly dying for years.

Not just LA.....

[Sandy Loam]

Anthony, Washingtonia Filifera (the native California Fan Palm) seems to be the primary landscape palm in Palm Springs, CA and also are pretty common throughout downtown Phoenix.  I don't know why they are not more prevalent in Los Angeles, but if Fusarium Wilt and the damaging weevil are taking root in LA, it would not be a good idea to start planting Washingtonia Filifera there. Aren't ALL Washingtonia species susceptible to Fusarium, whereas other species are naturally resistant?

 

..... Speaking of which, is ANY palm species resistant to this new weevil from South American.  I don't know much about it.  Perhaps the weevil will tend to be attracted to some palms more than others.  Does anyone know the low-down on this particular species of weevil?

[GottmitAlex]

32 minutes ago, Sandy Loam said:

..... Speaking of which, is ANY palm species resistant to this new weevil from South American.  I don't know much about it.  Perhaps the weevil will tend to be attracted to some palms more than others.  Does anyone know the low-down on this particular species of weevil?

I hope the Beccariophoenix genus gets a pass from the beetle...

[Pete in Paradise Hills]

1 hour ago, Sandy Loam said:

Anthony, Washingtonia Filifera (the native California Fan Palm) seems to be the primary landscape palm in Palm Springs, CA and also are pretty common throughout downtown Phoenix.  I don't know why they are not more prevalent in Los Angeles, but if Fusarium Wilt and the damaging weevil are taking root in LA, it would not be a good idea to start planting Washingtonia Filifera there. Aren't ALL Washingtonia species susceptible to Fusarium, whereas other species are naturally resistant?

 

..... Speaking of which, is ANY palm species resistant to this new weevil from South American.  I don't know much about it.  Perhaps the weevil will tend to be attracted to some palms more than others.  Does anyone know the low-down on this particular species of weevil?

If the weevil can kill a washy robusta it's stronger than Roundup, because even that can't kill the robustas that continually sprout up through cracks in the sidewalk outside my house

[Josh-O]

32 minutes ago, Pete in Paradise Hills said:

If the weevil can kill a washy robusta it's stronger than Roundup, because even that can't kill the robustas that continually sprout up through cracks in the sidewalk outside my house

here you go

6 oz round up

4 oz simple green

2 aspirin crushed and diluted

mix together and you will kill every washie seedling that ever existed!

[Pete in Paradise Hills]

57 minutes ago, Josh-O said:

here you go

6 oz round up

4 oz simple green

2 aspirin crushed and diluted

mix together and you will kill every washie seedling that ever existed!

Thanks for the tip Josh

[Palm Tree Jim]

11 hours ago, Josh-O said:

here you go

6 oz round up

4 oz simple green

2 aspirin crushed and diluted

mix together and you will kill every washie seedling that ever existed!

[DCA_Palm_Fan]

The comment thread on that article is hilarious.   Mostly just haters that love to hate.  I find those chastising others for using the term palm trees to be the truly ignorant ones.  smh.    I hope LA finds a way to keep its palms.  They are beautiful and deserve to maintain their prominence in the southern California landscape.  

[PalmTreeDude]

I agree that California Fan Palms (Washingtonia filifera) need to be planted and not ignored. Even if though they make a frond coat. They are part of the "deep" Southwest ecosystem. 

Edited September 25, 2017 by PalmTreeDude

[Kris]

On 9/26/2017, 1:00:14, PalmTreeDude said:

I agree that California Fan Palms (Washingtonia filifera) need to be planted and not ignored. Even if though they make a frond coat. They are part of the "deep" Southwest ecosystem. 

Here's a video to prove your point.They are looking beautiful.

.

 

 

[PalmTreeDude]

5 hours ago, Kris said:

Here's a video to prove your point.They are looking beautiful.

.

 

 

They do look beautiful, if I lived in the west they would be my palm of choice. 

[topwater]

W. filifera in habitat is an amazing palm.  Even the skirts look right. I pulled this off the web, one of Len’s pics?

[Sr. Califas]

On ‎9‎/‎23‎/‎2017‎ ‎2‎:‎50‎:‎51‎, Anthony_B said:

Like practically everything from California, their image is a fraud.

 

On ‎9‎/‎23‎/‎2017‎ ‎2‎:‎50‎:‎51‎, Anthony_B said:

If I were a mayor in one of the towns in that looney-tunes state

Your opinion about California palms seems honest and informed. But there is no need for you to include cheap shots about our state.

[The Germinator]

Looks like 49 Palms to me. Ever been there Senor? it is a true oasis.