If there's a pineapple bulge on the trunk, you've got a Canary date palm.
If you can break away from the fine dining, shopping, nightclub shows and blackjack tables that distinguish Las Vegas from other high-profile entertainment destinations, you'll enjoy checking out the palm trees. Four types of palm trees thrive in what was once a desert wasteland in the middle of nowhere. Of the four types of Vegas palm trees, three are revered, and one is reviled so see if you can pick out the outlaw. No botanical guidebook is needed if you look closely when you check out the big four. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Look for a Mexican fan palm. If you've toured Hollywood, you'll recognize this iconic palm tree with its long trunk and classic silhouette. It's so famous, it even has another name: Washingtonia Robusta. Because the Mexican Palm is hardy (hence its botanical name) and can withstand temperature drops, it does well in Las Vegas when winter temperatures can dip significantly. There are more Mexican fan palms than other palm trees in Vegas. When the leaves of the Mexican fan palm die, they don't fall. They just hang there and appear to the casual observer as tufts of fur on the trunk. If you see fur, that's no party animal in a mink: you've identified a Mexican palm that can grow to a height of 40 to 70 feet.
2. Identify a California fan palm (Washingtonia Filifera), a shorter, thicker cousin of the Mexican palm. The California fan is persona non grata in Vegas and is cut down regularly. To identify this outlaw, look for seedpods and fronds that are larger and heavier than those hanging from Mexican palms. While this is the only palm that's native to southwest deserts, the California palm is not native to the area and considered an invasive species that needs to be eradicated. If conservationists have their way, this opportunistic palm tree could become a memory in the near future. You'd better identify this one fast.
3. Go in search of a Canary date palm. Like the other three Las Vegas palm trees, the Canary date palm has another name: Phoenix Canariensis. A member of the Phoenix date family, the Canary is a stately tree that tops out at between 60 and 70 feet after it's reached maturity; but if you spot an area on the palm tree that resembles a giant pineapple, you've correctly identified a baby Canary palm. You'll notice a predominant bulge at the top from which a fountain of 8- to 15-foot long leaves springs. The Canary date palm's edible fruit can make a mess if it's not harvested as soon as it falls.
4. Complete your search by identifying a true date palm. Also called Phoenix Dactylifera, this feathery palm tree can grow to 100 feet. The true date palm has a broad, patterned, gray trunk and diamond-shaped leaves. This tree's canopy can spread 40 feet; so if you've found a shady patch in Vegas during the day, you may be standing under one. Look for a rough trunk with a circumference of around 18 inches. When a female date palm detects pollen, it produces huge numbers of dates, so things can get messy if the products of the love affair aren't scooped up immediately.
Tags: date palm, Canary date, Canary date palm, palm tree, palm trees
