Mexican Fan Palm, Skyduster (Washingtonia robusta)

by mustangman826 Aug 28, 2011 1:38 PM

Dubai United Arab Emirates (zone11)

The tall, skinny palms in this picture are Mexican fan palms.

Old fan palms in Riverside, California.

Here is one of the Washingtonia palms growing next to the Koi pond. Adds to the tropical look of the pond are along with the Japanese banana. These have done great for years here in Western Washington state.

Small Mexican fan palm. (San Antonio, Tx.)

Ever notice how tall Washingtonias always lean to the west? ALWAYS. Why?

Fullerton arboretum, California. Unpruned trees with 'skirts' (great rat nests!)

Good comparison shot- W robusta on left and W filiferi on right. The latter has wider trunk, less dense by slightly larger crown.

Standing under a large Mexican fan palm provides relief from the summer sun. (San Antonio, Tx.)

Washingtonian's in Belleair, FL (Tampa Bay area)

sometimes these palms look nice planted in tight clumps- Los Angeles

At Yumenoshima Island Park, Tokyo City, Japan, Zone 9A

In Brownsville, Texas they seed easily and are great Parrot and Parakeet habitat

interesting curled trunked specimen in Pasadena California

Tall Mexican Fan Palms - Palm Ave. Hialeah (Miami), FL

Mexican fan palms reaching for the sky. San Diego Zoo

Brownsville, Texas in March, 2005

In bloom. August, 2005. Fremont, CA

My young Mexican fan palm after one season's growth in Oklahoma City. Photographed September 8, 2005.

This my wife who says I'm crazy and our four legged "child"

Tolerating high winds in Southern California

Taken 29th November, seed sown 9th Jan 05, germinated in 1 week.

Mexican fan palms in my back yard in Austin Texas but have transplanted into ground as they got too big

Small tree growing in Moreno, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

A very tall one in Phoenix, zone 9b. The shorter ones on the left are 'Washingtonia filifera' maybe.

This is a 7' palm

Seven gallon Washingtonia robusta

These are palms I planted last year. I live in Hot Springs, Arkansas

A Mexican Fan Palm (Washingtonia robusta) that has come up from a seed in a small crack in asphalt. It is a couple of months old.

A Mexican Fan Palm (Washingtonia robusta) that has come up from a seed in a small crack in asphalt. It is spreading the asphalt apart as it grows.

newly installed tree

newly installed small tree from window. coldest of the year 48hi, 28lo, 35 windchill. too cold for me! from pic it looks like a trachy, but its not

Tree with skirt showing process of natural cleaning of trunk (retained leaves eventually rot off, particularly the higher they are- more wind exposure), California

palms in nursery in S.C.

double palms in nursery in S.C.

My little Skyduster minding its own business - San Ramon, CA

This is a Mexican Fan that had received some frost damaged from the prior year

Two lightning bolts struck in our haouse that night! One hit one of the Phoenix and the othr one hit the Washingtonia. Both of them died. August 2007.

This wonderful palm was born when I was born. Unfortunately it died because of a lightning bolt. Agust 2007.

These are about 100 years old. birds carry thier seeds and they grow like weeds here in central CA

before (left side) and after (right side) pruning, in Los Angeles

View from my bedroom window at sunrise with the moon in the background still shining bright. z10 cental CA. Nov07

result of wind damage in San Fernando valley California (palm is actually fine, but all these dead leaves fell off in last 12 hours)

Seedling - 2 weeks old

Bunch of 2 week old seedlings

Beautiful gardens at St. Anthony's Greek Orthodox Monastery in Florence, AZ.

this is NOT a healthy way to prune a palm (these two are way overpruned, and though will probably be OK, this practice endangers their survival)

Grown in Tucson, doing well....lots of water doubles it size!!

At the San Francisco Zoo.

Lining a long boulevard at the San Francisco Zoo.

Split, Croatia

roots spreading and molding themselves to the landscaping (and not the other way around as is the case with most tree roots)

Beautifully groomed and maintained palms,Hayward Ca.

Washingtonia robusta growing nicely by Lake Merritt, Oakland Ca.

Growing so tall at UC Berkeley Botanical Garden.

Base of palm at UC Berkeley Botanical Garden. So narrow for such a tall palm.

Trunk

more overpruned trees

cut up palm..note lack of tree rings (palms don't have rings)

you like these with, or without a skirt?

'wild' plants in ravine, Ventura County, California in wilderness area

Los Angeles, California

Freshly cleaned Mexican Fan Palms - Southern California (San Fernando Valley) These are 60 years old

scenic shot, Los Angeles arboretum

Shot from afar with beautiful orange-yellow flowers in foreground. Coronado Springs Resort, Orlando FL

Beautiful cream colored flowers. Orlando, FL

Growing beautifully at Disney's Epcot Park.

Seedlings from the Washingtonia robusta will grow everywhere they fall.

Washington comparison... filifera in center straight as a pole, while robusta (taller) is leaning markedly. Southern California

shot looking up trunk under a dead skirt of leaves

Sofia, Bulgaria, 2300 feet AMSL, zone 6b (admittedly). End of winter.

Ft. Myers. July 2014.

Same plant, but closer.

100 year old plant at the Edison, Ford & Firestone Winter Estate in Ft. Myers.

Edison, Ford, & Firestone Winter Estate, Ft Myers. July 2014.

Younger plant at the estate.

Closer view.

Two taller palms on right after 17 degree freeze and a couple other nights well into the 20's (deg F)- zone 8b NW FL. 2 yrs later, most of these in this yard have died.

Mature, taller tree after freeze into the upper teens with a couple other nights well into the 20's (deg F): it was later removed- zone 8b NW FL.

Healthy, mature specimen during temps in the 20's with light ice coating. This winter also had a freeze to 17 degrees. Most of canopy completely burned but still came back- zone 8b NW FL.