New coconut palm in Culver City CA ?

[Lala93]

I think I may have found a coconut palm in Culver City California. I was driving by and it caught my attention. Got out my car and tried to take a closer look, which I did but was scared to take pics and they were having a party 😆 anyways when I got home I looked up the intersection on Google maps. It’s on Washington place west of the intersection of Inglewood ave about 100 ft from the corner on the north side. It’s definitely not the coconut look alike from New Zealand . The fans of the palm are way too wide and robust. 

[tim_brissy_13]

Looks like Howea forsteriana to me. 

[Jim in Los Altos]

As Tim remarked, it’s likely a Kentia palm (Howea forsteriana). With average temperatures of 66°F daytime and 47°F nighttime December through February, coconut would likely wither away by March in Culver City. Not much summer heat there either. A Kentia, on the other hand, would continue growing throughout the winter. 

[mnorell]

Also Culver City is something of a cold-sink: its main axis along Washington and Culver Boulevards run along the Ballona Creek bed. It’s a UC/sunset zone 22 ‘experience’ for those who find themselves living south of the I-10 in that section of L.A. And the ocean is a little too far away to remediate the problem of the winter cold drain. So maybe not frost every year but not too uncommon. And it really suffers from springtime chill due to the relative proximity to the ocean. I agree with Jim on that point…not a coconut’s preferred habitat! But it’s a nice full Howea (assuming that’s what this is in the fuzzy google shot),  which is great to see there. 

[njpalmguy]

18 hours ago, mnorell said:

Also Culver City is something of a cold-sink: its main axis along Washington and Culver Boulevards run along the Ballona Creek bed. It’s a UC/sunset zone 22 ‘experience’ for those who find themselves living south of the I-10 in that section of L.A. And the ocean is a little too far away to remediate the problem of the winter cold drain. So maybe not frost every year but not too uncommon. And it really suffers from springtime chill due to the relative proximity to the ocean. I agree with Jim on that point…not a coconut’s preferred habitat! But it’s a nice full Howea (assuming that’s what this is in the fuzzy google shot),  which is great to see there. 

at first i thought it was a mule tbh. pretty easy to grow in California as far as climate goes.

[Billeb]

On 6/23/2024 at 5:39 AM, tim_brissy_13 said:

Looks like Howea forsteriana to me. 

At first glance, this is my thought too. Droopy leaflets. 
 

-dale 

[Lala93]

Omg you guys it’s not a howea. I see those all the time. It’s definitely not. I’ll get more pics soon lol