Trees Around the World Virtual Tour
Washingtonia robusta | Arecaceae | Mexican fan palm
Characteristics:
The Mexican fan palm is native to Mexican deserts, such as Sonora and Baja California, Mexico (1). The Palm was originally introduced in Los Angeles to beautify the town for the 1932 Summer Olympics. This palm tree is very common for landscapes throughout cities in the south and southwest United States such as Florida, Texas, Louisiana, Arizona, Nevada and along the California coast where it is often used in rows along streets and sidewalks. This species of palm tree has been known to be valuable to multiple indigenous tribes, utilizing different parts of the tree for various purposes; the fruit and leaves for example. The black fruit was consumed in a variety of ways, eaten fresh or dried, and soaked in water to make beverages. The leaves were used to make clothing, sandals, and baskets.
