# Mexican Fan Palm (*Washingtonia robusta*) The Mexican Fan Palm is a tall tree with long, fan-shaped leaves. It grows in warm places and is great for providing shade on sunny days! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 8 - **Habitat:** Urban areas ![Mexican Fan Palm](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/2022-02-20_Washingtonia_robusta%252C_Las_Flores%252C_Todos_Santos%252C_Baja_California_Sur%252C_Mexico.jpg&width=800) Photo: stekkelpak, CC0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2022-02-20_Washingtonia_robusta%252C_Las_Flores%252C_Todos_Santos%252C_Baja_California_Sur%252C_Mexico.jpg) ## Appearance The Mexican Fan Palm has a very tall, slender, greyish-brown trunk often covered by a 'skirt' of dead, dried fronds. Its crown features large, bright green, fan-shaped leaves, giving it a distinctive silhouette. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Liliopsida - **Order:** Arecales - **Family:** Arecaceae - **Genus:** Washingtonia ## Interesting facts - It's one of the fastest-growing palm trees in the world! - Its trunk can grow as tall as a 10-story building! - These palms produce thousands of tiny, edible, date-like fruits. - Young Mexican Fan Palms are called 'petticoat palms' for their skirt of fronds. ## Special abilities - **Trunk Armor:** Mexican Fan Palm has a thick, shaggy 'skirt' of old fronds that protects its slender trunk from sun and injury. - **Desert Thirst Quencher:** Mexican Fan Palm can grow incredibly deep roots to find precious water, helping it survive in dry desert oases. - **Wind Dancer:** Mexican Fan Palm has flexible leaf stems that allow its fronds to bend and sway, resisting damage from strong winds. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 2000-3500 cm - **Spread:** 300-500 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** European Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Its flowers attract and are pollinated by bees. - **Eaten by:** [Mourning Dove](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mourning-dove) (*Zenaida macroura*) — Its small, date-like fruits provide food. - **Shelter:** Rock Dove (*Columba livia*) — Its fronds provide nesting and roosting sites. - **Eaten by:** [Black Rat](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-rat) (*Rattus rattus*) — Opportunistic rodents consume fallen fruits. ## Traits - [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form. - [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight. - [Broadleaf Tree](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/broadleaf-tree): Broadleaf trees are angiosperms characterized by flat, wide leaves that are typically shed annually in temperate climates. - [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once. - [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period. - [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Be careful around the sharp edges of the palm leaves. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Mexican Fan Palm? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Mexican Fan Palm? 2000-3500 cm ### How wide does Mexican Fan Palm spread? 300-500 cm ### How big are the flowers on Mexican Fan Palm? 0.5-1 cm ### When does Mexican Fan Palm bloom? Summer ### Is Mexican Fan Palm edible? Yes ### Is Mexican Fan Palm toxic? None ### What is Mexican Fan Palm's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [California Citrus State Historic Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/california-citrus-state-historic-park) — California, US · State Park - [Campo de Cahuenga](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/campo-de-cahuenga) — California, US · Historic District - [Crossroads of the World](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/crossroads-of-the-world) — California, US · Historic District - [Fort MacArthur](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-macarthur) — California, US · Historic Site - [Heal the Bay Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/heal-the-bay-aquarium) — California, US · Zoo - [Pasadena Civic Center District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/pasadena-civic-center-district) — California, US · Historic District [View all places to see Mexican Fan Palm](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/mexican-fan-palm) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Mexican Fan Palm: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mexican-fan-palm)