So I mentioned I would write a blog about fan and date palms … and here it is! 

First off, palms are not trees!! Now I found that interesting because I always referred to them as a palm tree. Yet technically, palms are grass that have leaves growing from the trunk and lack bark. They are considered also as large, woody herbs. Lots of science available to read all about it, if you wish, just not here!

My interest in palms happened when in California last month. All of a sudden I realized there was a difference in the palms I was looking at. As I drove around parks and golf courses, I did not take notice. Often I was looking at date palms. I buy my dates at Shields Date Garden in Indio, California, no wonder I saw them most often! Yum!

By the way, date palms were brought to California by Spanish missionaries in the 18th century. Here is a date palm with its feather-shaped fronds and its unpicked, dried out dates:

Then we were at Anza- Borrego Desert State Park. I learned there is only one palm native to the state of California, and it is not the date palm. California’s Washingoni filifera is the native palm. It can grow to 65 feet tall, with fan-shaped leaves and small, black fruit. Once you observe palm leaves closely, you’ll notice a fan palm has fronds from the top forming a crown. Each frond actually looks like a fan. 

The native California fan palm has been around since forever, whereas a similar looking Mexican fan palm is considered invasive. You will see the Mexican fan palm all around southern CA and Los Angeles! And you’ll notice, I did not get a photo of a California fan palm.

Here is an invasive Mexican fan palm, notice the fan-shape:

Take notice of the next palm you see … one does learn something new every day!