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Palm photo from 1941


Mangosteen

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Can someone ID the palms in this 1941 photo growing in front of the Gaylord Building on Wilshire Blvd. in Los Angeles? They don't seem to be the typical Washingtonia that were so widely planted at that time. Wonder if they are still there?

palm photo.jpg

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The ones further back look like a form of Syagrus. Based on their trunks and leaf form. The trunk says Romanzoffiana, leaf form of the rear palms looks almost Wodyetia. But I see a few Romanzoffiana online photos with similar leaf/fronds

Edited by Meangreen94z
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Wodyetia was what I was going to say, but I question whether they were available in L. A. in the '30's.  Romanzoffiana is more likely, but the fronds look quite Wodyetia-like.  Here's a shot from 2004 showing the front palms removed, but maybe the side street Washie still remaining?.

washie.jpg

Edited by Mangosteen
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They look like queen palms to me that's interesting I didn't think they've been around that long.  Thats a great picture of the old cars. It doesn't look like traffic has changed much

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Queen palms...

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

Mesa, Arizona

 

Temps between 29F and 115F each year

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Funny how much more glamorous that area looks in the old photo. Guess it’s the cars, and maybe direction

Edited by Meangreen94z
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The Foxtail palm (Wodyetia bifurcata) was first discovered in the 1980s and didn’t become commercially available, other than seeds, for many years after that. The palms in the photo are queen palms (Syagrus romanzoffiana) which were already commonly planted in California at the time (1930s). 

Edited by Jim in Los Altos
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Jim in Los Altos, CA  SF Bay Area 37.34N- 122.13W- 190' above sea level

zone 10a/9b

sunset zone 16

300+ palms, 90+ species in the ground

Las Palmas Design

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Las Palmas Design & Associates

Elegant Homes and Gardens

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Apparently the photo was snapped shortly after a large parade went by and everyone is trying to leave and get home at the same time.

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On 5/30/2020 at 10:21 AM, Jim in Los Altos said:

The Foxtail palm (Wodyetia bifurcata) was first discovered in the 1980s and didn’t become commercially available, other than seeds, for many years after that. The palms in the photo are queen palms (Syagrus romanzoffiana) which were already commonly planted in California at the time (1930s). 

Wonder if there are any 100 year old Queens left growing in southern CA if, like you said, they were commonly planted in the 30's. Know of any in the old LA neighbors? Or don't they typically live that long?

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/palm-trees-may-be-oldest-living-trees/

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10 hours ago, Mangosteen said:

Wonder if there are any 100 year old Queens left growing in southern CA if, like you said, they were commonly planted in the 30's. Know of any in the old LA neighbors? Or don't they typically live that long?

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/palm-trees-may-be-oldest-living-trees/

I’d guess that there are still a number of old queen palms in Southern CA. There certainly are here in Northern CA. This one was planted in the early 1920s in Sunnyvale when this was a thriving apricot orchard and homestead. It’s now finally being developed and the fate of that palm is anyone’s guess along with several CIDPs on the property. All the remaining fruit trees have been removed but the native oaks and the palms are still there for now. 

E7D6E411-694B-4D21-AB22-05E78B8BDF77.thumb.jpeg.b2fbc57f59370e0a23dbe98afe3c5fe6.jpeg

AAD80E10-29C7-4BE4-89F1-F7DEBD3478EB.thumb.jpeg.b95dd529dffd22ee52efa093f2362d1a.jpeg

E6C69A3C-FD0A-4DD1-BAD5-CF3FFBE5D197.thumb.jpeg.3e4fbca009d9a3434f7b367f078130c7.jpeg

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Jim in Los Altos, CA  SF Bay Area 37.34N- 122.13W- 190' above sea level

zone 10a/9b

sunset zone 16

300+ palms, 90+ species in the ground

Las Palmas Design

Facebook Page

Las Palmas Design & Associates

Elegant Homes and Gardens

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