Arecaceae

Palm Family

Palm Trees

FAMILY: Palm family (Arecaceae) – Washingtonia and Phoenix genera.

SPECIES: #1 California fan palm (Washingtonia filifera (Linden ex André) H. Wendl. ex de Bary). #2 Mexican fan palm (Washingtonia robusta H. Wendl. = Washingtonia sonorae S. Watson = Washingtonia gracilis Parish). #3 date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.).

TO UTILIZE AS FOOD: The fruits (better known as dates) and seeds (kernels) of all species listed above are edible.

California fan palms (W. filifera) produce long clusters of flowers from April to July that develop into thousands of berry-size fruits from August to November. A prime tree can yield over a hundred pounds of fruit, so the importance of these trees cannot be overstated. Fruits are loosely attached to the clusters and readily drop to the ground. Fallen fruits tend to attract wildlife, making the shady palm groves prime hunting locations. Mature fruits have a robust flavor similar to a combination of dates, molasses, and licorice. They’re every bit as good as commercially grown dates (Phoenix dactylifera), though definitely smaller. California fan palm dates are about 6-9 mm in diameter, spherical to somewhat 3-angled, filled with rock-hard kernels, and covered by thin skins. Kernels comprise about 50-90 percent of the volume. Fleshy layers tend to separate from the kernels. The dates are naturally semi-dry and stay fresh for several weeks in the cooler temperatures of late autumn. Further dehydration is required for long-term storage. Date syrup is made by mashing the fruits in hot water to dissolve the sugars, straining out the debris, and concentrating the juice by boiling off the excess water. California fan palm dates are delicious right off the trees. No processing is required.

Mexican fan palms (W. robusta) produce fruits that look virtually identical to those of California fan palms described above. The flavor, texture, and aroma are presumably similar, but fruits of this species were not sampled for this reference.

Date palms (P. dactylifera) produce the familiar dates sold in grocery stores. These trees are extensively cultivated in southern California. They commonly “escape” cultivation, but they only persist if growing conditions are suitable.

NOTES: Throughout the ages, California fan palms were very important to Native Americans living in southern California. Before the arrival of European settlers, palm groves were restricted to natural oases or canyons offering a permanent supply of water. Very few of these places existed in the past. Villages were often constructed near palm groves because they supplied food, water, and materials for various necessities. Signs of the past can still be seen around palm groves, such as crumbling remains of villages, pieces of broken utensils, symbols of forgotten languages etched into the landscape, and rock mortars used to grind palm fruits and kernels into flour. In modern times, it’s easy to forget how important these isolated groves were to the lives of desert inhabitants. Thanks to agriculture and the extensive use of palm trees in landscaping, these trees now thrive in areas they wouldn’t normally inhabit, and that’s good news for southwestern foragers. All the major cities and small towns up to about 1,000 meters (3,000 feet) elevation now have palm trees. Foragers of the Colorado Desert, which roughly encompasses southwestern Arizona and southeastern California, would be wise to routinely check palm trees for signs of productivity. These signs include profusions of flowers cascading down the trunks, development of healthy fruits, and access to water to ensure the fruits have a chance to mature. Natural palm groves occur primarily in the foothills of the San Jacinto Mountains in southern California. Most of these groves are protected, but finding palm trees elsewhere shouldn’t be too hard. Palm trees are a blessing that we can all be thankful for.

IDENTIFICATION: Only 2 species of the Washingtonia genus are found in the United States: Mexican fan palm (W. robusta) and California fan palm (W. filifera). Palm trees hardly need a description. No other trees in the Southwest look similar to palm trees. Dates sold in grocery stores come from the introduced date palm (Phoenix dactylifera). Fruits of date palms are much larger than those of fan palms. They also have torpedo-shaped pits and pinnate leaves. Fan palms have globe-shaped pits and palmately-divided (fan-shaped) leaves. Palm trees are restricted primarily to cultivated areas or natural oases.

REFERENCES: #1 California fan palm (Washingtonia filifera): fruits and seeds Clarke (pp. 128-129), Couplan (p. 500), Hodgson (pp. 55-56), Kappel-Smith (pp. 80-85), and Lindsay (p. 63). #2 Mexican fan palm (Washingtonia robusta = Washingtonia sonorae = Washingtonia gracilis): fruits and seeds Couplan (p. 500) and Hodgson (pp. 55-56). #3 date palm (Phoenix dactylifera): sap, fruits, and seeds Couplan (p. 498) and others.