The Arecaceae family consists of palm trees. I've always been drawn to palm trees, symbol of the tropics, and may have first encountered them on a childhood trip to Florida and Everglades National Park. Actually, I was obsessed with Florida before even going there, poring over maps and photographs in the Encyclopedia Britannica. I think I twisted my parents' arms into taking that family vacation, a trip that left a huge impression on me.
So huge an impression that I returned to the Everglades some twenty years later and spent a winter working at the National Park. It was great to re-experience the place as an adult. Among the plants that made an impression on me was saw palmetto (Serenoa repens). I liked the low-growing palm aesthetically, and was also intrigued at the claim that it helped prostate and urinary problems.
It was interesting to learn that the western states have only one native palm, Washingtonia filifera. In nature they are found growing in narrow canyons and near desert springs. Out of nature they are found everywhere - streets, shopping centers, golf courses. The leaves are fan-shaped, as opposed to the more prevalent feather-shaped, imported species that also fill California streets. I will always be amused by this enormous palm growing right though the lobby of a motel in King City, CA (above).
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