1194 



PALM 



Munich, 3 vols., 1823-1850, is a standard work. Ker- 

 2hove de Denterghem's "Lies Palmiers," Paris, 1878, is 

 an important work. A popular running account of 

 Palms and the various kinds, by William Watson, will 

 be found in the following places in Gardeners' Chronicle; 

 1884 (vol. 22), pp. 426, 522, 595, 728, 748; 1885 (vol. 23), 

 pp. 338, 410, 439; 1885 (vol. 24), pp. 362, 394, 586, 748; 



1886 (vol. 25), pp. 75, 557; 1886 (vol. 26), pp. 491, 6.V2; 



1887 (vol. 2, ser. 3), pp. 156, 304; 1891 (vol. 9), pp. 234, 

 298, 671; 1893 (vol. 13), pp. 200, 332. l_ jj g 



Hardy Palms in California. — Palms grown in the 



open in California 

 genera, and numbering 

 17 genera of ab.iut 40 .- 

 Palm colltMiionv, ;iii'l 

 the gardi.-ii^ cf 1."- A 

 found throuyhuut 



rde 



do not exceed in number 20 



about 60 spi 



the 



can'.. 



ies. The following 

 found in our best 



rs are growing in 

 iiiity, and may be 



la in limited num- 



bers from San Diego to Santa Barbara. Occasional 

 plants of species not mentioned are found in some old 

 gardens, but are not so plentiful as to be considered in a 

 general list of our hardy Palms. In enumerating these 

 plants they are placed as to their importance, or rather 

 as to their numerical strength in California. Our native 

 Fan-Palms, the Washini;tf>nia<;, niitives of San Ber- 

 nardino and San Diego cmhihij.-, li;i\,- l>eeu most exten- 

 sively planted, and may i"' louii'l < virywhere, serving, 

 in some instances, a varirty nf imriMises. Fig. 1022. In 

 growing this Palm water is of the first importance. When 

 planted along a street, those adjoining vacant lots often 

 remain nearly at a standstill, except in case of an un- 

 usually wet winter, while those along the cultivated 

 lots or lawns grow faster than any other Palm. When 

 one in its native habitat blows over by the force of the 

 desert winds, the hole left by tlie roots and stump 

 invariably fills with water. Washingtonias are hardy 

 600 miles north of Los Angeles. It may be well to 

 state that hardiness in Palms is principally a ques- 

 tion of size, the larger ones passing through the most 

 severe winter unharmed, while the small ones may 

 perish. So, too, some Palms supposed to be very ten- 

 der need protection from sun more than from frost. 

 This is particularly the case with the so-called Kentias 

 and Rhapis. A certain Howea (or Kentia Fornteriana) 

 is protected only by a large overhanging branch of a 

 sycamore, which is of course leafless in cold weather, 



'iM%^ 



1622. A Sentinel Palm. 

 Washingtonia filifera, San Jacinto Mts.,Cal, 



yet it has reached a height of 12 feet, with a diameter 

 at base of 12 inches, and it has never been injured by 

 frost, yet water hydrants 10 feet away have been frozen 

 so hard as to burst them. In Los Angeles is a Kentia 

 15 feet high, growing on the north side of a house, 

 protected from sun alone, being 20 feet from the build- 

 ing, where for several winters the ground near by has 

 frozen to the depth of 1 inch. This is in the bottom- 

 lands, the coldest part of the city. 



Ph'Diix (hietiilifeni, though not so ornamental as 

 others of tlie genus, was extensively planted in early 

 days and is one of the hardiest of Palms. Fig. 1621. The 

 most popular Palm for the masses, who look for grace 

 and beauty combined with cheapness, is Phoenix Cava- 

 riensis. More of these are planted at present than any 

 other three species. In Los Angeles and vicinity they 

 may be counted by tens of thousands. Like these 

 two for hardiness is P. reclinata; and all may be seen 

 growing north of San Francisco some 200 miles. All the 

 genus is hardy in southern California. Trachycarpns 

 ejrceltiiis and Chtemerops huniiUg, the latter varying 

 greatly in appearance, will grow as far north as any 

 Palms and are popular everywhere. The former in 

 thirty years will grow to the height of 25 feet, while the 

 latter will make 8-10 feet of trunk in the same time. 



xfnitl. 



id L. Chi 



tliough 



and tb 



n,lh 



id a;. 



Ib-il. Date bairns at Old Town, San Diego. 



are both popular, 

 ii'ullicrn part of the state, 

 ihd frum noonday sun. 

 (often known as Braheas) 

 grow around San Frunoisco liay luxuriantly. Cocos eri- 

 ospafha is bardy even farther north than the Ery- 

 tbeas, and is by far the most ornamental Palm to he 

 found in that section. Other Cocos in southern Cali- 

 fornia are O. flexuoaa, phtmosa, coronata, Eomanzof- 

 fiann, and many others. Any Cocos will grow here in 

 protected places except Wetldelliana. C. phiwisa is 

 without doubt the most gra'-tfnl Palm grown, and at 

 present very extensively phmted in the southern citrous 

 belt, sometimes for street or sidewalk trees. It is also 

 one of the fastest growers, and will reach 20 feet in fif- 



