Washingtonia robusta

W. robusta grows to {{convert|25|m|ft|abbr=on}} tall, rarely up to {{convert|30|m|ft|abbr=on}}. The leaves have a petiole up to {{convert|1|m|ftin|abbr=on}} long, and a palmate fan of leaflets up to {{convert|1|m|ftin|0|abbr=on}} long. The petioles are armed with sharp thorns. The inflorescence is up to {{convert|3|m|ft|abbr=on|0}} long, with numerous small, pale orange-pink flowers. The fruit is a spherical, blue-black drupe, {{convert|6|–|8|mm|in|frac=16|abbr=on}} diameter; it is edible, though thin-fleshed.{{cite book |last=Little |first=Elbert L. |title=The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees: Western Region |year=1994 |orig-year=1980 |publisher=Knopf |isbn=0394507614 |edition=Chanticleer Press|page=326}}

It is one of two species in the genus Washingtonia. The other is the close relative Washingtonia filifera, which occupies a more northerly distribution. Compared with W. robusta, W. filifera has a thicker trunk and dull green leaves.{{Cite journal|last1=Felger|first1=Richard S.|last2=Joyal|first2=Elaine|date=1999|title=The Palms (Arecaceae) of Sonora, Mexico|url=https://cals.arizona.edu/herbarium/sites/cals.arizona.edu.herbarium/files/old_site/assoc/people/rfelger/Aliso_v18.1-18-1.pdf|journal=Aliso|volume=18|pages=1–18|doi=10.5642/aliso.19991801.11 |s2cid=89510057 }}

{{Cite journal|last1=Rebman|first1=J. P.|last2=Gibson|first2=J.|last3=Rich|first3=K.|date=2016|title=Annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Baja California, Mexico|url=http://sdplantatlas.org/pdffiles/BajaChecklist2016.pdf|journal=San Diego Society of Natural History|volume=45|pages=275}}

• English: Mexican fan palm, Mexican washingtonia, skyduster
• Spanish: abanico, palma colorado, palma real, palma blanca, palma negra
• Seri: Zamij ctam

This palm is native to the Baja California peninsula and Sonora. On the peninsula, it occurs from the Sierra de La Asamblea and the Baja California desert south into the Vizcaino region and the Sierra de La Giganta, and into the southern cape. In Sonora, it occurs in canyons in the western half of the state, particularly in the palm oases of the Sierra El Aguaje north of Guaymas. It is relatively restricted, and is suspected to be a relict population in Sonora. It has the least number of plants in the palm oases that are shared with two other more numerous species, Brahea brandegeei and Sabal uresana.

Like the closely related Washingtonia filifera (California fan palm), it is grown as an ornamental tree. Although very similar, the Mexican washingtonia has a narrower trunk (which is typically somewhat wider at the base), and grows slightly faster and taller; it is also somewhat less cold hardy than the California fan palm, hardy to about {{convert|-8|C|F|abbr=on}}.{{cn|date=March 2025}}

Field research conducted on W. robusta in its native habitat on the Baja California peninsula concluded that its potential longevity may exceed 500 years.{{Cite journal|last1=Bullock|first1=S.H.|last2=Heath|first2=D.|title=Growth rates and age of native palms in the Baja California desert|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/222125855|journal=Journal of Arid Environments|year=2006|volume=67|issue=3|pages=391–402|doi=10.1016/j.jaridenv.2006.03.002|bibcode=2006JArEn..67..391B}} Supporting research by Barry Tomlinson and Brett Huggett states that there is "evidence for extreme longevity of metabolically functioning cells of considerable diversity in palm stems."{{Cite journal|last1=Tomlinson|first1=P. Barry|last2=Huggett|first2=Brett A.|date=2012-12-01|title=Cell longevity and sustained primary growth in palm stems|journal=American Journal of Botany|language=en|volume=99|issue=12|pages=1891–1902|doi=10.3732/ajb.1200089|issn=0002-9122|pmid=23221497}} Many of the iconic "sky dusters" of Los Angeles that have survived the chainsaws of progress are documented in photography from the 19th century.{{cn|date=March 2025}}

The Mexican fan palm is normally grown in the desert Southwestern United States, in areas such as California, Arizona, southern Nevada, extreme southwestern Utah and Texas. It also cultivated in the coastal areas of South Atlantic states and the Gulf Coast, including extreme southern North Carolina, coastal South Carolina, southern Georgia, and Florida. Along the Gulf Coast, Mexican fan palms can be found growing along the Florida west coast westward to South Texas.{{cn|date=March 2025}}

Washingtonia × filibusta is a hybrid of W. robusta and W. filifera, and has intermediate characteristics of the two parents, especially greater tolerance of wet cold.{{cite book|last=Riffle|first=Robert Lee|title=Timber Press Pocket Guide to Palms|publisher=Timber Press|location=Portland, Oregon|year=2008|series=Timber Press Pocket Guides|isbn=978-0-88192-776-4|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NARcoCeQVPcC&q=%22Washingtonia%20filibusta%22&pg=PA224|page=224}}

File:Flowering Mexican Date Palm.jpg|Flowering palm in Chandler, Arizona

File:Washingtoniainfructescence.JPG|Infructescence

File:Robustaflowers.JPG|Inflorescence

File:Washingtonia Robusta Gaziantep TurkeyIMG 0202.jpg|Washingtonia robusta with an average length of 59 feet, Gaziantep, Turkey

File:Asupalms.jpg|Arizona State University's Palm Walk

File:Robustabeach.JPG|Species in Venice Beach, California

File:WashingtoniaRobustaGeorgia.png|W. robusta growing in Saint Simons Island, Georgia

File:Palm Trees in San Jose California.jpg|W. robusta and Canary Island date palms are commonly seen lining many streets throughout San Jose, California.

File:Los Angeles, Koreatown, Palm Trees.jpg|Palm trees lined up at S. Occidental Blvd between Koreatown and Westlake of Los Angeles, California

File:Hotel De Anza San Jose Palms.jpg|Species line Santa Clara Street in San Jose, California

File:Los Angeles Washingtonia Robusta.jpg|Oldest palms in Los Angeles, planted circa 1875

File:Enterprise Mexican Palm.jpg|A Mexican fan palm tree in Enterprise, Alabama

File:Mexican Fan Palm Sacramento, California.jpg|Mexican Fan Palm From Sacramento, California

{{Commons category}}

{{Wikispecies}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=222000449 Flora of North America Vol. 22 Page 106 Mexican fan palm, palmier évantail du Mexique Washingtonia robusta H. Wendland, Garten-Zeitum (Berlin). 2: 198. 1883.]
• [http://www.scanpalm.no/washingtonia_english.html Scanpalm - Washingtonia robusta]

{{Taxonbar|from=Q1096456}}

Robusta

Category:Plants described in 1883

Category:Trees of Northern America

Category:North American desert flora

Category:Trees of Mediterranean climate

Category:Ornamental trees