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Tours

1. Palm Tour

   This tour provides an opportunity to see 11 of the 25 palm species that provide a distinctive element in the landscape at UCSB.

   Stops

   1. Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera)

      Date Palms (Phoenix dactylifera) are native to North Africa and Western Asia, where they have long been valued as a food source and a symbol of fertility. They produce silvery to gray-green foliage due to the reflection of light from their surfaces. In more recent times, dates have become commercially popular around the world, leading to the cultivation of multiple specialized varieties. Dactylifera means “bearing fingers” which refers to the appearance of the date fruits upon the flower stalks of the female trees. The plants will rarely bear fruit in Santa Barbara because they require higher temperatures. Many parts of the date palm have value to humans; their trunks are used for lumber; the fruiting stems are used to make rope; the flower buds are edible; the seeds can be ground to produce flour; and the fruits are used to produce syrup, vinegar, and alcohol.

       

   2. Jelly Palm (Butia capitata)

      Jelly Palms (Butia capitata) are native to Brazil. They have silvery, arching foliage arising from a stubble of old leaf bases. Their flower stalks are initially protected by developing within a large, woody, boat-shaped bract that is often employed as a vessel by flower arrangers. The cream-to- maroon flowers give rise to sweet-tasting, orange-yellow fruit, which may be used to make a tart jelly or wine.

       

   3. Chilean Wine Palm (Jubaea chilensis)

      Charles Darwin described the Chilean Wine Palm as ugly when he saw it in Chile, but it is now widely grown for its massive structure. Silvery to gray-green foliage is borne atop a broadly-bottle- shaped trunk. Tassels of flowers emerge from a thick, protective sheath with an orange interior. The flowers develop into yellow fruits bearing edible kernels known as “coquitos,” meaning “little coconuts” because of their coconut-like texture and flavor. In Chile the palm is prized for its sap, which is fermented to make wine, a practice that has drastically reduced wild populations of this elegant tree.

       

       

   4. Mexican Fan Palm (Washingtonia robusta)

      The genus Washingtonia includes California’s only native palm, California Palm (Washingtonia filifera), as well as its close relative, the Mexican Fan Palm (Washingtonia robusta). These palms can be challenging to differentiate at first glance. They both grow into large trees, reaching heights of 80 to 100 feet. When not trimmed, they develop a hanging skirt of old, gray leaves that provide valuable habitat for birds, lizards, and rats.
      
      

      The Mexican Fan Palm (Washingtonia robusta) tends to have a slimmer trunk, darker green leaves with a deep red splotch at the base of the leaf stalk, and a more rounded crown of leaves than the California Palm (Washingtonia filifera).

   5. Fishtail Wine Palm (Caryota urens)

      Fishtail Wine Palms (Caryota urens) are native to Southeast Asia and have bifurcated leaflets resembling fishtails, giving it its name. All species are “monocarpic” — once they reach a certain size, they proceed to flower from the top to the bottom of the tree for a 5-7 year period and then die. The flowers grow in hanging, mop-like inflorescences. The fruits of Caryota produce oxalic acid, and are irritating to the skin and should not be eaten. However, an edible starch called sago can be found in the pithy cores of the stems. Additionally, this palm yields fiber for rope and sometimes wood for construction.

   6. King Palm (Archontophoenix cunninghamiana)

      Native to the rainforests of eastern Australia, the King Palm (Archontophoenix cunninghamiana) is listed as rare though not threatened with extinction. The leaf bases encircle the trunk, forming a green “crown shaft” below the leaves. Masses of pink to purple flowers are produced by highly branched stalks that hang below the crown shaft and produce bright red, round fruits. Often clusters of flowers and fruits are present on the same trunk, creating a colorful sight

   7. European Fan Palm (Chamaerops humilis)

      The European Fan Palm (Chamaerops humilis) grows in the Mediterranean area, and is the only palm native to Europe. It can survive temperatures below 20 degrees Fahrenheit, is fairly fast growing, and is also drought resistant. It tends to sprout at the base, creating clumps of upwardly arching stems, covered with thick fibers. The leaf stalks have needle-like, forward-pointing spines. The clumps of yellow flowers are often obscured by the dense crown.

       

   8. Queen Palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana)

      Queen Palms (Syagrus romanzoffiana) are native to South America. These palms have elongate feathery foliage with drooping leaflets borne on a smooth grey trunk ringed with old leaf scars. Large clusters of creamy flowers are borne at the base of the crown and emerge from a 3 to 4-foot- long protective, boat-like bract that is elegantly ribbed. The flowers mature in summer to yield showy orange, edible fruits. In its native locations, the durable stems are used for pier pilings.

   9. Windmill Palm (Trachycarpus fortunei)

      The Windmill Palm (Trachycarpus fortunei) is native to China, Japan, Myanmar and India, and is the most cold-hardy of all cultivated palms. It has been known to survive in the snow even when completely defoliated. The stout and stiff leaves stand rigidly away from the thick fiber-covered trunk. The seeds are used medicinally and are believed to have cancer-fighting properties, while fibers from the trunk and leaf sheath may be used to line hanging baskets and to produce rope and cloth.

   10. Pygmy Date Palm (Phoenix roebelenii)

       The Pygmy Date Palm (Phoenix roebelenii) is a slow growing palm from Southeast Asia and can grow both indoors and outdoors due to its hardy nature and small stature. Clusters of creamy yellow flowers mature into red-brown to dark purple fruit which can be eaten; however, the primary use of this tree is ornamental. The base of the leaf stalk produces sharp spines that can penetrate the skin, releasing toxins that cause irritation, allergic reactions, and lead to infection.

   11. Paradise Palm (Howea forsteriana)

       The Paradise or Kentia Palm (Howea forsteriana) is native to Lord Howe Island, Australia. The leaflets of the leaves tend to droop, giving the canopy a graceful appearance. The stem base is swollen and has strongly marked leaf scars that look like rings. This palm is often found in interior landscapes, flourishing in hotel lobbies and ballrooms. The Sentry Palm (Howea belmoreana) is a rare relative restricted to the sandy soils of the same island.