Northernmost Native Washingtonia filifera Grove

[Ryland]

I should have put these pictures up months ago but I guess it just slipped my mind. Terry's post reminded me of my Moapa visit. Moapa, in Clark County, Nevada, has the northernmost native grove of Washingtonia filifera and I was able to actually go check it out over the summer. Here are the pics, finally.

Enjoy!

The road into Moapa. This was an exciting moment!

Some young filiferas near the water.

The reason these palms are able to survive in the desert.

I really wanted to take one of these back to Oregon with me... one this size would cost about $100 at a Northern California nursery.

Me in the palm grove.

These skirts of dead fronds always remind me of Cousin It's hair from the Addams Family.

[Zeeth]

Very cool. Did you collect any seed? Surely they would be pretty valuable (as far as washies go), as pure filfera are pretty hard to come by in these days of hybridization.

[FRITO]

Thanks for sharing these Ryland.

looks like a nice little oasis retreat in the desert! I woulda had a hard time not popping out of of the smaller seedlings too!

[iamjv]

Indeed cool pics! Next time I get out to Vegas I'll have to plan a road trip... is that fence line only along the road way or does it entirely fence off the groves? Thanks, Jv

[Ryland]

Jv, there are fences, so the only way I could get to the palms was by going onto the land of a Mormon retreat, but they were generous enough to allow me permission to enter and photograph the palm grove.

Alas, I did not collect any seeds because I was only a couple weeks from moving from Oregon to California, and I have nowhere to grow them here.

[quaman58]

Those are great habitat shots..Right next to a water source, they're a lot happier than being surrounded by concrete. Thanks for sharing!

[Ryland]

I forgot to mention, it's only about an hour drive from Las Vegas (if you go with the traffic, which is about 90 mph), so it's a trip that could easily be made in half a day.

[osideterry]

Nice photos. I wonder if the locals know they have the northernmost native grove of Washingtonia filifera? Not a chance.

I had to look up Moapa on googlemap, and instantly found your grove.

[JD in the OC]

Very cool to see California's only truly native palm in habitat (eventho these are in NV). Thanks!

[Kris]

Very nice visuals...

By the way iam surprised to see that these W.Filiferas have not put out massive trunks.But those washy filifera's grown in ones garden or street planted trees in cities of cal,have massive trunks.For that matter a member who worked in Iraq posted stills of washy filifera's there,which had a trunk on par with the size of a chiliean wine palm..Why is this difference ?

Is it the soil,climate,the scarcity of water that makes these grow heavy trunk ?

Love,

kris

[Kathryn]

Cool palms. I love those natural skirts!

[Darold Petty]

Ryland; thanks for posting the habitat shots!

Kris; I do not know the explanation for the smaller diameter trunks of the wild palms but this is typical. The wild W. filifera at Anza Borrego and 29 Palms in California are the same.

[DoomsDave]

rYLAND!

Great pictures.

I'd have taken some seed, and tried it up in Orgasmitron. Bet they might grow, especially if you're in a dry area.

dave

[bubba]

Thanks for the shots and your time in travel and posting. There is something very special about those beautiful Washingtonias with that natural oasis thing going.

[Alberto]

Thanks for sharing! I also like habitat photos!

W.filifera is certainly a majestic palm!

[Kris]

Ryland; thanks for posting the habitat shots!

Kris; I do not know the explanation for the smaller diameter trunks of the wild palms but this is typical. The wild W. filifera at Anza Borrego and 29 Palms in California are the same.

Thanks for the info,but iam sure you have not seen those visuals of W.FIlifera grown in Iraq & Jordan... Since they were very massive trunked.

[Explorer]

Are those most notherly growing Washingtonia more coldhardy then those from other areas? Washingtonia is grown outside in the milder parts of the UK for example. And its fast growing also. Even in The Netherlands some have Washingtonia planted in their garden.

Alexander

[Yunder Wækraus]

Very nice visuals...

By the way iam surprised to see that these W.Filiferas have not put out massive trunks.But those washy filifera's grown in ones garden or street planted trees in cities of cal,have massive trunks.For that matter a member who worked in Iraq posted stills of washy filifera's there,which had a trunk on par with the size of a chiliean wine palm..Why is this difference ?

Is it the soil,climate,the scarcity of water that makes these grow heavy trunk ?

Love,

kris

I've often wondered the same thing. My thought has been that most (all?) California fan palms in cultivation might descend from a few very specific individuals. These might have been larger by chance or choice. My grandfather planted a baby Washingtonia filifera in his front yard in the 1950s, and it's huge now. I grew up in the same house, and I was used to the massive trunk. When I saw my first wild grove of Washingtonias outside of Palm Springs, I was surprised (as you were) to see that not one palm out of hundreds had a trunk of equal diameter. I've since paid special attention to any old photos from various parts of CA, especially when they provide evidence that extant palms were planted long ago. In Stockton, CA, the town where my grandfather planted his now-huge CA fan palm, there's an old street about two miles away from his house that is uniquely lined with Washingtonias, and they all have the same huge trunk. Here's a recent photo I found online: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tk-hF8kIOYw/UFuPIRzDs-I/AAAAAAAAAR0/cpkISKicLhI/s1600/DSCN0719%5B1%5D.jpgI've seen old black-and-white photos with the same trees at least 60 years ago.

[Kris]

Nice link Alex Walker, Thanks even iam a fan of w.filifera palms.

Love,

kris.