Pygmy Date Palm

When you ask somebody from outside our state what comes to mind when they think of California, they might imagine sunny beaches underneath palm trees. But there is only one palm tree native to California (Washingtonia filifera) in the Mojave Desert, about 500 miles away.

So why do we see so many palm trees lining this park and streets all over the state? During the 1700s, Spanish missionaries planted palm trees to use their fronds in Christian ceremonies, mainly related to Easter. Eventually, so many people associated the palm tree with California that it became a status symbol. Palm trees prefer warm, dry weather, so the ones around here tend to do better indoors. The palms you see here are Pygmy Date Palms (Phoenix roebelenii), which are typically native to Asia!