1194 



PALM 



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

 chove de Denterghem's "Les Palmiers," Paris, 1878, is 

 an important work. A popular running account of 

 Palms and the various kinds, by William Watson, w r ill 

 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, 652; 



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

 298, 671; 1893 (vol. 13), pp. 260, 332. L> H B 



HARDY PALMS IN CALIFORNIA. Palms grown in the 

 open in California gardens do not exceed in number 20 

 genera, and numbering about 60 species. The following 

 17 genera of about 40 species may be found in our best 

 Palm collections, and all these species are growing in 

 the gardens of Los Angeles and vicinity, and may be 

 found throughout southern California 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 Washingtonias, natives of San Ber- 

 nardino and San Diego counties, have been most exten- 

 sively planted, and may be found everywhere, serving, 

 in some instances, a variety of purposes. Fig. 1622. 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 the 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 Forsterlana) 

 is protected only by a large overhanging branch of a 

 sycamore, which is of course leafless in cold weather, 



1621. Date Palms at Old Town, San Diego. 



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. 



Phoenix dactylifera, though not so ornamental as 

 others of the 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 Cana- 

 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. Trachycarpus 

 excelsus and Chwmerops humilis, 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. 

 Livistona australis and L. Chinensis are both popular, 

 though not hardy outside the southern part of the state, 

 and the latter must be shaded from noonday sun. 

 Erythea armata and E. edulis (often known as Braheas) 

 grow around San Francisco bay luxuriantly. Cocos eri- 

 ospatha is hardy even farther north than the Ery- 

 theas, and is by far the most ornamental Palm to be 

 found in that section. Other Cocos in southern Cali- 

 fornia are C. flexuosa, plumosa, coronata, Romanzof- 

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

 protected places except Weddelliana. C. plumosa is 

 without doubt the most graceful Palm grown, and at 

 present very extensively planted 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- 



