The eponymous palm of Palm Springs

Tens of thousands of native California fan palms (Washingtonia filifera) rise over the gardens and streets of Palm Springs. The fan-like leaves flutter and wave as the trees gently sway in the desert breeze. If a plant could be described as elegant, this plant would certainly be one.

Delicate fibers peel away from the leaf blade as they age, giving the palm part of its name, filifera. The advantage of the fibers to the plant is uncertain; however, the fibers were used by the indigenous Cuhuilla tribes for tools and fabrics.

It is no accident the city is named for the palm. For centuries the native Cuhuilla residents were vastly outnumbered by fan palms. For the Cuhuilla, the plant became an important resource for their tools and shelters. Even today, I wouldn't be surprised if the number of palms outnumber the residents of the current modern city.

Bird's eye view over old Palm Springs neighborhood; fan palms are everywhere.

In their native environment, the palms grow best along stream beds which are fed by the many hot springs in the region. The hot springs are the result of proximity to the San Andreas Fault - and other fault lines - where the earth's crust is very thin as two massive tectonic plates slide past each other. Water seeps down to the geothermal heat along the faults, then rises again to create the hot springs.

Native palms growing along hot springs on the San Andreas Fault

Fan palms along a spring-fed rock pool

Washingtonia filifera is native to southern and Baja California. It is a member of the true palm family of Aracaceae. Along with filifera the only other species in the genus is robusta - Mexican fan palm - which has the very tall and slender trunk one thinks of lining the boulevards of Los Angeles. California fan palms are shorter, with thicker trunks. Very popular in landscape design, the tree now has a world wide distribution in warm climates.

A grove of palms, all sporting their skirts.

Senescent fans stay on the trunk to form a dense skirt of leaves. Note the sharp barbs along the edges of the petioles

As the leaves age and wither, the stay fixed to the trunk. They then droop down to form a dense skirt around the trunk, from the crown to the ground. The skirt forms a protective layer against heat and wild fires, and provides important habitat for many species of birds, bats, and beetles.

Intrepid explorer and avid photographer, Tom Wilson, next to a cut-away of the skirt on a California fan palm.

Mexican fan palms grow to be much taller than their California cousins.

Sunset over Palm Springs (photos courtesy of Tom Wilson).

Comments

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