Anaheim Palm Corporate Center

[anaheimpalmguy]

The other day we were coming home from DTLA to Anaheim.  For once I was the passenger and not the driver.  I glanced over to my right and imagine my surprise when I saw a long massed wall of Phoenix reclinata planted alongside the west side of the southbound I-5 freeway just south of the 91 interchange.  It went on for a little over half a mile, involving what must have been hundreds of reclinatas!

So later that day I checked Google Maps for what was going on in that location.  It revealed almost nothing, just a big blank space next to the freeway, probably a business park.  So today I went to investigate, thinking there might be other interesting things going on there too.

I quickly found access to the area and there were palms everywhere.  This place is called the Anaheim Palms Corporate Center.  It was very “palmy,” but most of the palms were common and not very interesting, mostly Washingtonias, Kings, Queens, Dates, and  roebeleniis, but there were three things that got my attention.  Of course the first thing was the massed planting of reclinatas along the freeway side of the corporate park.  I mean they were planted close together side by side as a “hedge” in the half mile strip.  They were youngish and hadn’t developed a whole lot of trunk yet.  There were Washingtonias and Queens planted at regular intervals among the reclinatas.  What interests me is what the landscape designer intended with these reclinatas.  If allowed to grow larger and assume their multi-trunked mature form, they would be a truly striking, one-of-kind sight along the freeway when they got older.  (They would also require a huge amount of maintenance.)

The second thing that got my attention was the landscaping around  the two”’Full Time Training of Anaheim” buildings in the park (“Full Time Training” refers not to some kind of job training school, but to a religious college).  Anyway, that landscape was chock full of tropical plants AND somewhat unusual palms.  There were a Bismarckia or two, Caryotas, Woodyetias, Raveneas, Dypsis, Chamaedorea plumosas, Rhapis, and a lot of miscellaneous tropical plants.  All this was really fun to see, especially in a business park where interesting landscape designs are few and far between.  

Lastly, there was a smaller area closer to the south entrance to the corporate center where there was a shaded area that had a dense jungle vibe, with lush, tropical plantings.   These included lots of Howeas, Kings, Queens, roebeleniis etc.

Sadly, some of the palms are suffering from maintenance issues, as some of the pics show.  Nutrient deficiency is one; adequate irrigation may be another (all non-lawn areas seem to be watered by drip irrigation).  

If anybody is interested in seeing it for themselves, the corporate center is bounded by I-5 and W. La Palma Ave. in northwest Anaheim.  It has almost no street presence or frontage; access to it is by turning north on N. Gilbert St., then turning left before it dead ends into a big parking lot and from there you can thread your way back into the areas I’ve described.  There are no guards or security gates.

[anaheimpalmguy]

[DoomsDave]

Thanks for the tip!

I'm right up the hill, gonna roar on down there and have a look, before Check Point Charlie is in place . . . .

[Jesse]

That pretty cool.  Every time I drive down the 5, I'm always wondering if there is more than a hedge of palms.  I'll have to check it out as it's near my work place. Thanks for the heads up!

[Palm Tree Jim]

Most likely the owner of the building is a palm lover!