April 13, 2004 > Palm Paradise by Hugh Danaher and Nelson Kirk
From the Canary Island Date palms lining the entrance of the
Masonic Home in Union City to the Date palms in front of the
Marriott Hotel in Warm Springs, palms add a distinctive accent
to our local skyline. Though some think Northern California is
too cold for palms, our area is sheltered from most harsh
weather conditions and is a palm paradise. Cultivating palms in
California began with the Spanish missionaries, but it wasn't
until the American Era that palms were planted locally. One
early species here was the Canary Island Date palm (Phoenix
canariensis). These are the large and rough trunked trees lining
Adelina Common (once the entrance to 'St. Mary of the Palms'
school for girls) in Mission San Jose, the entry to the Masonic
Home in Union City, and the road in the California Nursery
Company Historical Park in Niles. It's an easy-to-grow palm that
makes a bold statement, but requires a good deal of maintenance
to make it an attractive garden