Washingtonia robusta - Mexican Fan Palm

The Washingtonia robusta is a tall palm tree with a very slender habit, native to Northwestern Mexico. It is distinguished by its very fast growth. Its trunk, thin and slender, is topped by a crown of large palmate leaves, fan-shaped, almost round. It is also recognized by the 'skirt' of dead and grey leaves that surround the top of the trunk. Not very hardy, it is best suited to mild climates. It tolerates sea spray and withstands summer drought.

The Washingtonia robusta belongs to the family of Arecaceae, it is a botanical species closely related to the Washingtonia filifera, with a slightly shorter habit and a more sturdy trunk. It originates from Sonora, a desert region covering Northern Mexico and Baja California, where it grows naturally in arid places and at the bottom of canyons, where water is available at depth. This palm tree, which can reach a height of 25m (82ft), has a trunk with a diameter of 80cm (31.5in). Its foliage, arranged in a terminal crown, will not exceed 3m (9.8ft) in width. The trunk, widened at the base, seems endless. It branches at the top, in the form of reddish-based petioles, with spiky teeth, in a brown-orange colour. Each petiole bears a large circular leaf, 80cm (31.5in) in diameter, shiny green, with narrow segmented edges. On specimens that have reached a certain size, the leaves have a visible light spot where the segments and the petiole meet, when viewed from below. The 'skirt' apparent at the top of the trunk is formed by withered and hanging petioles that persist for a long time on the plant. The spectacular flowering occurs outdoors in summer, in the form of long, arched inflorescences (up to 4m (157.4 ft)) that extend more than one metre beyond the crown. The flowers are numerous, cream to flesh-coloured, followed by countless small round fruits, black and shiny, each containing a smooth and shiny dark brown seed.

Highly appreciated as a coastal and mild climate street tree, the Washingtonia robusta is one of the most commonly cultivated ornamental palm species, along with the Washingtonia filifera and the Phoenix canariensis, from the Tropics to temperate countries. Irreplaceable and prominent in mild climates, it can also be cultivated elsewhere in a large container if stored indoors in a cool, bright and well-ventilated area during winter. Planted near an entrance, on either side of a gate, or as a standalone plant near a pool, it will be magnificent. Like Eucalyptus and tall Mimosa trees, in the background of a flowerbed, it forms a typical backdrop for gardens along the Mediterranean or the Atlantic coast in the south of France.