The following trees and plants are available from our growing grounds in Elfin Forest, California. If you have a need for plant stock at good prices, give us a list and we can help you with great savings to your pocketbook at wholesale prices.
Perfect tree for development of commercial property.
Fan Palm "Washingtonia Robusta"
- 241 3 ft plants
- 601 4 ft plants
- 454 5 ft plants
- 293 6 ft plants
- 150 7 ft plants
- 69 8 ft plants
- 27 9 ft plants
- 10 10 ft plants
- 02 12 ft plants
Coast News Local Roots, Article by Kent Horner ©
Washingtonia Robusta (Mexican Fan Palm or Mexican Washingtonia)
“Swaying gently in the breeze on the steep banks of Swami’s surf outlook or standing tall like soldiers going off to war in single file along Coast Hwy, the Washingtonia Robusta can be found almost anywhere here in Southern California.
Commonly known as the “Mexican Fan Palm”, I used to hate this tree because of its rapid growth rate and resulting mess. Tree chippers can’t make clean mulch out of the old dead fronds and the blades dull quickly after running a few trees worth of material through them. This makes the resulting chips even more coarse and less usable. Suitable only for the landfill and a hefty dump fee…
But, having lived with these trees around me for so many years, I have grown to love the sound of the wind coursing through them. Their brilliant canopies reflecting the sun and their steady promise to stay green and make shade for the grateful understory plants and the people celebrating their oasis.
The differences between these two trees are great, but to the casual observer; difficult to ascertain. Our local Mexican Fan Palm is much more slender and grows quickly in comparison to the Filifera. The desert palm has gray green foliage, less ferocious hook thorns on its fronds and does not tolerate moisture very well.
Near the beach, the moist air from the sea plays havoc with the Washingtonia Filifera and encourages a black sooty tar. This hard backed spotty fungus attacks the surface of the fronds. To be fair, they just don’t do well by the coast. In Vegas, or Phoenix however, they do great. There really is nothing like rows of 40 to 50 ft. California Fan Palms standing straight up with fat trunks and healthy green canopies delineating the boulevard. Ton per ton, they definitely give the Phoenix Canariences a run for its money when it comes to sheer size.
In more ways than one our local Robusta is a flexible character. It can tolerate the British snow and winters outside down to 20 degrees.Hailing from Sonora in mainland Mexico and Baja California, it also loves great heat, drought and yes, copious amounts of water.
In fact, the state in accordance with environmentalists has placed this tree on the noxious intruder list and have instituted eradication procedures in wetland areas. In other words, these trees can grow in standing water along drainage ditches and salt marshes.
The Robusta is so tough that even an intense skirt fire racing up the trunk of the tree will not kill these magnificent trees. After the Witch Creek fire, many of the palm groves at Evergreen Nurseries were completely burnt. Now, they have all returned to full vigor and have pushed complete new heads.
My suggestion for planting the Robusta is to place the tree in groups of three to four. Plan for huge overall future height and canopy and give space between the baby palms and any nearby patio, wall or structure. As the tree grows so will the diameter of its base.”