Part 13

Fig. 27.--A formal planting on a city street. Palms with interplantings. Redlands, Calif., in midsummer.]

The Victoria palmetto is another hardy species, probably a native of Mexico, but grown for many years at Victoria, Tex. It is similar to the native Texas species and worthy of general planting in the same region. A feature of this species is that the persistent leaf bases remain alive and green for many years instead of turning yellow or brown, as in the Carolina palmetto.

Cook, O. F. A new ornamental palmetto in southern Texas. In U. S. Dept. Agr., Bur. Plant Indus. Cir. 113, p. 11-14. 1913.

WASHINGTONIA PALM.

Washingtonia palms are a very conspicuous feature of street and ornamental planting in southern California. Two species are represented, Washingtonia filifera Wendland and W. robusta Wendland. The first is a native of the canyons and barren slopes that surround the Coachella Valley of southern California, while the other species probably was brought by way of the Isthmus of Panama from the region of San Jose del Cabo, the extremity of Lower California, in the early days of travel. The name robusta alludes to the fact that this species grows much more rapidly in height than W. filifera, though the trunk is more slender. Both species are hardy and thrive well through regions 2, 3, and 5, and also in regions 12 and 13. Washingtonia robusta requires less heat than W. filifera, but both will endure several degrees of frost. Even in California Washingtonia robusta is distinctly preferable for localities near the coast. In the vicinity of San Diego the leaves of Washingtonia filifera become badly infested with a parasitic fungus that does not attack Washingtonia robusta.

OTHER HARDY FAN PALMS.

The species most commonly used for street and ornamental planting in the California coast districts is the Chinese or windmill palm. This palm has a slender trunk clothed with brown fibers, flat fan-shaped leaves, and rather straight radiating segments. The same species is hardy at New Orleans and Charleston, and even at Laurens, S. C., at an altitude of 600 feet, but it does not thrive in the sandy soil of Florida.

Trachycarpus excelsa (Thunb.) Wendl.

The vegetable hair palm, a native of Spain, Sicily, and North Africa, is similar to the Chinese palm but smaller and more compact and with large, sharp spines on the petioles of the leaves. When young it suckers from the base, like the date palm, so that clusters of it may be formed.

Chamaerops humilis L.

The Guadeloupe Island palm is one of the most popular species in southern California in the region of Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, and San Diego. This palm is a native of Guadeloupe Island, of! the coast of lower California, and is not known to occur elsewhere in the wild state. It is well adapted to the cool coast climate of California, but not to the interior valleys. It is smaller than the Washingtonia palms, with a rather short trunk, 15 to 20 feet high, and a dense crown of fresh green leaves.

Erythea edulis (H. Wendl.) S. Wats.

The California blue palm, formerly placed in the same genus with the Guadeloupe Island species, is very distinct in habits as well as in general appearance, having bluish or grayish green leaves, strongly toothed petioles, and long, slender inflorescences. The trunk is very robust, often 2 to 3 feet in diameter, and is said to attain a height of 30 to 40 feet in Mexico. Several of these features are shared with the Washingtonia palms. It also has the ability to grow in the dry, hot interior valleys (regions 3 and 5). In Texas the blue palm has proved hardy at San Antonio, and even as far north as Austin.

Glaucothea armata (formerly known as Erythea armata). See Cook, O. F., Glaucothea, a new genus of palms from Lower California. In Jour. Washington Acad. Sci., v. 5, p. 236-241. 1915.

DATE PALM.

The Canary Island date palm is the most popular palm for park or street planting, being more hardy than the true date palm, larger and more vigorous in growth, and producing no suckers from the base of the trunk. Well-grown specimens in the California coast districts (region 2) with trunks from 2 to 3 feet thick and immense crowns of spreading deep-green leaves are among the most imposing forms of plant life. Though less robust in other regions, the species is very hardy and adapted for planting anywhere in the palm belt (regions 3, 5, 12, and 13).

Phoenix canariensis Hort.

The true date palm is adapted to the warmer parts of regions 3 and 5, but it is much inferior to the Canary Island species for ornamental use because the foliage is less attractive, due to its habit of sending out suckers from the base of the trunk.

Phoenix dactylifera L.

THE COCONUT AND ITS RELATIVES.

The true coconut palm is confined to a narrow belt along the coast of southern Florida, but other species of cocos are planted in the coast districts of California. The species that is most prominent in park and street plantings around San Diego, Los Angeles, and Santa Barbara is usually known as Cocos plumosa or Cocos romanzoffiana, and is a rather tall, slender palm with a long-jointed trunk about 1 foot in diameter and long, spreading, feathery, deep-green leaves. Another series is represented by Cocos yatay and several similar species, often called Cocos australis in nursery catalogues. They have short, thick trunks, very glaucous grayish or bluish foliage, and fleshy edible fruits, highly flavored, somewhat like pineapples. These gray-leaved species are very hardy. Another coconut relative is the Chilean molasses palm, which has a massive trunk 3 or 4 feet in diameter, specimens of which are growing at a few places in California.

Jubaea chilensis Baill.

OTHER PINNATE PALMS.

The amethyst palm, a native of Australia, is commonly planted in California. It usually appears in lists and nursery catalogues as Seaforthia elegans or Archontophoenix alexandrae, but it is now recognized as distinct from both of these species and has received a new name, Loroma amethystina. It is the only pinnate-leaved palm, except certain species of Phoenix and Cocos, that grows freely in the open air in the coast districts of California, from Santa Barbara to San Diego. In habit and general appearance Loroma is more like the royal palm, though with a smaller trunk and fewer leaves. The pinkish purple drooping inflorescence is very attractive and develops into a large cluster of scarlet berries.

The royal palms, species of Roystonea, are perhaps the most striking ornamental members of the whole group. They can be grown in southern Florida and even exist in the wild state in some of the hammocks below Miami.

PEPPER TREE.

The California pepper tree is much used in regions 2 and 3 and in the western part of region 5. It is a moderate-sized broad-headed tree with fine foliage, which gives it a light, airy appearance. During the fall and winter it is covered with scarlet berries, which in contrast with the persistent foliage produce a pleasing effect.

Schinus molle L.