Is my palm a true filifera or a hybrid?

[lita]

Hi there! I bought a palm at Lowe’s that was advertised as a California fan palm, but what I really want is a pure filifera. I also got a grow kit from the Johnsteen Company and some seeds from Sheffield Seeds—both advertised as filiferas. How likely is it that the seeds I bought are truly pure filiferas, perhaps gathered from a nature preserve?

 

 

 

 

[aztropic]

Your 'california fan Palm' appears NOT to be a pure filifera. ANY red on the petiole base indicates there is some robusta in it's heritage. The more red,the more robusta. Not sure if the shading on the pictured right petiole is red or brown? Hope for Brown. 🤷‍♂️

 

aztropic 

Mesa, Arizona 

[aztropic]

Here's a picture of my pure filifera. Notice,the petiole bases are totally green.

 

aztropic 

Mesa, Arizona 

[PalmatierMeg]

I wouldn't trust any seed sellers, particularly outside of CA to peddle "pure filifera" seeds to you. The best way to know for sure is to trek to filifera habitat areas then collect seeds yourself. Just be sure you go when the seeds are ripening - fall? That I don't know.

[Fusca]

Welcome to Palmtalk @lita!  The good news about your palm is that it seems to be mostly filifera with less robusta genes.  The coloring and size of the petiole thorns is similar to Scott's filifera so I imagine that it will grow faster than a pure filifera and taller but much shorter than a robusta.  It will likely have a thick trunk as well.  Mine, also from a big box store, is similar to yours but more red on the leaf bases.  They were totally green until recently when the red showed up.  I haven't decided if I will keep it or not.

As the others said, collecting the seeds yourself is your best bet for getting pure filifera.  With so many hybrids and robustas around locally I'm sure even seeds from Scott's filifera will produce some additional hybrids!

[Hu Palmeras]

A very pretty Washingtonia. I germinated the tall variety (Robusta). I hope it continues to grow as beautifully as your palm tree.

[lita]

@aztropic I suspected as much based on what I've been reading here. Gorgeous specimen you've got there, BTW. Would love to have one just like yours. 

@PalmatierMeg A trip to the Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve is in my future for sure.

@Fusca Thank you so much for the warm welcome. A thick trunk is what I'm looking for in a washi.

@Hu Palmeras If you’re referring to mine, thank you! I’ve already planted it in the ground while I germinate the seeds. Hoping to get at least one genuine filifera—fingers crossed!

To All: The cannabis community has genetic testing for their plants. I’m wondering whether there’s something similar for Washingtonians.

[Hu Palmeras]

You can buy them at RPS. The 10 Lita seeds are very cheap. Nice to meet you. I'm from Chile.

[lita]

@Hu Palmeras Nice to meet you as well, Hu.

Chile is one of my favorite condiments 😜

I'm not familiar with RPS. Is that like an online seed store? 

[Hu Palmeras]

if you can buy the seeds you want

[Phoenikakias]

10 hours ago, Fusca said:

Welcome to Palmtalk @lita!  The good news about your palm is that it seems to be mostly filifera with less robusta genes.  The coloring and size of the petiole thorns is similar to Scott's filifera so I imagine that it will grow faster than a pure filifera and taller but much shorter than a robusta.  It will likely have a thick trunk as well.  Mine, also from a big box store, is similar to yours but more red on the leaf bases.  They were totally green until recently when the red showed up.  I haven't decided if I will keep it or not.

As the others said, collecting the seeds yourself is your best bet for getting pure filifera.  With so many hybrids and robustas around locally I'm sure even seeds from Scott's filifera will produce some additional hybrids!

Toss it!

[Phoenikakias]

Here are pictures of my filifera-filibusta, when juvenile. No trace of purple in petioles and still remains so. Besides it suffered in that age from pink rot because it had been planted on the drip line of the above roof. Nevertheless inflorescences are quite short for a a genuine filifera. Below you can read printed abstracts from two monographs discussing the differences between the two spp and the hybrid. Good luck lol

[Mazat]

32 minutes ago, Phoenikakias said:

Hier sind Bilder meiner Filifera-filibusta im Jungstadium. Von Purpur in den Blattstielen ist noch keine Spur zu sehen. Außerdem litt sie in diesem Alter unter Rosafäule, da sie auf der Tropflinie des Daches gepflanzt worden war. Trotzdem sind die Blütenstände für eine echte Filifera recht kurz. Unten finden Sie gedruckte Abstracts aus zwei Monographien, die die Unterschiede zwischen den beiden Arten und der Hybride diskutieren. Viel Glück, lol

Exciting, Konstantinos.

We had one filifera, but it came in badly shape and at the end we could nothing do left to save in her ☹️

[Hu Palmeras]

Very cool my friend

[Hu Palmeras]

20 minutes ago, Mazat said:

Emocionante, Konstantinos.

Teníamos una filifera, pero llegó en mal estado y al final no pudimos hacer nada más que salvarla ☹️

I hope to see my Washis grow very soon.

[Phoenikakias]

1 hour ago, Mazat said:

Exciting, Konstantinos.

We had one filifera, but it came in badly shape and at the end we could nothing do left to save in her ☹️

Filifera does not tolerate well cold and wet at once. May be more cold tolerant than robusta but in drier conditions.

[Hu Palmeras]

Interesting. One is more durable than the other. Washi

[SeanK]

16 hours ago, PalmatierMeg said:

I wouldn't trust any seed sellers, particularly outside of CA to peddle "pure filifera" seeds to you. The best way to know for sure is to trek to filifera habitat areas then collect seeds yourself. Just be sure you go when the seeds are ripening - fall? That I don't know.

I am working on some seedlings right now. Best bet is to trek over to Moapa and collect seed from under native palms.

[Hu Palmeras]

Very cool my friend

[Phoenikakias]

41 minutes ago, SeanK said:

I am working on some seedlings right now. Best bet is to trek over to Moapa and collect seed from under native palms.

If I weren't out of space and water, I would beg for a small lot...

[Phoenikakias]

1 hour ago, Hu Palmeras said:

Interesting. One is more durable than the other. Washi

Def, filifera withstands cold in transcaucasian coastal areas.

[lita]

@Hu Palmeras But I'm told not to rely on any source for this particular variety unless I collected the seed meself.

@Phoenikakias Thanks for the scientific source. Your filifera appears very verdant green in the images. Did that change with age?

[lita]

@SeanK Is the Moapa variety more pure and isolated than the one found at the Coachella preserve?

[Phoenikakias]

1 hour ago, lita said:

@Hu Palmeras But I'm told not to rely on any source for this particular variety unless I collected the seed meself.

@Phoenikakias Thanks for the scientific source. Your filifera appears very verdant green in the images. Did that change with age?

Yes, indeed!

[aztropic]

Here's another example of a pure filifera that came up as a weed at a local grocery store. If you do buy another Washingtonia, the totally green petiole bases are the key to getting the real deal.👍

 

aztropic 

Mesa, Arizona 

[aztropic]

20 hours ago, Fusca said:

 I'm sure even seeds from Scott's filifera will produce some additional hybrids!

Actually,I grew a batch of filifera with seeds from my own tree, and they came up pure. I did bag the flowers before they opened though, to keep the seeds pure. Next closest flowering Washingtonia to me is about 1/2 mile away, so that helps to keep cross pollination at a minimum. They were a slow seller here, and most of them actually were sold to people from New Mexico that drove over to get pure filiferas for their own gardens. 👍😄

 

aztropic 

Mesa, Arizona 

[Hu Palmeras]

36 minutes ago, aztropic said:

De hecho, cultivé un lote de filifera con semillas de mi propio árbol y salieron puras. Sin embargo, embolsaba las flores antes de que abrieran para mantener la pureza de las semillas. La Washingtonia en flor más cercana está a aproximadamente 800 metros, lo que ayuda a minimizar la polinización cruzada. Se vendieron con lentitud aquí, y la mayoría se las vendí a personas de Nuevo México que condujeron hasta allí para conseguir filiferas puras para sus propios jardines. 👍 😄

 

aztrópico 

Mesa, Arizona 

they are pretty

[lita]

@aztropic Based on what I'm reading here, those spines on the supermarket filifera look angry. What are the chances it's a filibusta?

Yours does appear to be the real deal and I'm glad you're preserving its genetic line.

[aztropic]

12 minutes ago, lita said:

@aztropic Based on what I'm reading here, those spines on the supermarket filifera look angry. What are the chances it's a filibusta?

Zero. The key to finding a pure filifera is going to be the totally green petiole bases with NO trace of red. The amount of hairyness on the fronds and size of teeth on the petioles are variable.

 

aztropic 

Mesa, Arizona 

[lita]

25 minutes ago, aztropic said:

Zero. The key to finding a pure filifera is going to be the totally green petiole bases with NO trace of red. The amount of hairyness on the fronds and size of teeth on the petioles are variable.

 

aztropic 

Mesa, Arizona 

Ah, I see. Good to know these things. I'm currently germinating the seeds I bough online. Hopefully I'll get at least one pure filifera.

[DoomsDave]

15 hours ago, Hu Palmeras said:

Interesting. One is more durable than the other. Washi

I concur! 

[DoomsDave]

@lita nice to meet ya! And welcome to Palm Talk.

Check put my PM private message I sent you.

[lita]

48 minutes ago, DoomsDave said:

@lita nice to meet ya! And welcome to Palm Talk.

Check put my PM private message I sent you.

Thank you so much. I just responded to your PM. Cheers!

[Phoenikakias]

3 hours ago, aztropic said:

Zero. The key to finding a pure filifera is going to be the totally green petiole bases with NO trace of red. The amount of hairyness on the fronds and size of teeth on the petioles are variable.

 

aztropic 

Mesa, Arizona 

Take following as an anecdotal information. I grow two plants both grown as filifera. The one obtained as a juvenile (pictures of it in a previous reply) the other raised from seed. Former has entirely green petioles but failed the  hastula (ratio length to width) and inflorescence (very long inflorescences) test, though seeds are smaller than those of robusta and resulted seedlings have a perfectly white stem. Latter, on the other hand, has a lot of brown (brown not red) in the petioles but it passed the hastula test and has not flowered yet (even slower growth rate).

[Hu Palmeras]

Very cool my friend🌴🌴🌴🌴💪💪💪

[Mazat]

23 hours ago, Hu Palmeras said:

I hope to see my Washis grow very soon.

Yes, my friend Hugo, we hope that too for you.

[Mazat]

On 10/15/2025 at 7:56 PM, lita said:

Hi there! I bought a palm at Lowe’s that was advertised as a California fan palm, but what I really want is a pure filifera. I also got a grow kit from the Johnsteen Company and some seeds from Sheffield Seeds—both advertised as filiferas. How likely is it that the seeds I bought are truly pure filiferas, perhaps gathered from a nature preserve?

 

 

 

 

A warm welcome to the forum from us too, lita, near Lake Constance from the small island of Switzerland. Wait a minute, it's not an island, but it is small 😁

[Hu Palmeras]

Thanks, my friend Mazat. These washis are beautiful and worthy of admiration.

[Mazat]

On 10/15/2025 at 9:37 PM, aztropic said:

Here's a picture of my pure filifera. Notice,the petiole bases are totally green.

 

aztropic 

Mesa, Arizona 

Very nice specimen, Scott.

[lita]

On 10/17/2025 at 3:25 AM, Mazat said:

A warm welcome to the forum from us too, lita, near Lake Constance from the small island of Switzerland. Wait a minute, it's not an island, but it is small 😁

I'm coming over! 😜