hi everyone,

I am trying to identify a palm tree in our backyard. It's non fruiting
and has long thorns at the base of the leaves. The old fallen off
leaves don't trim flush with the trunk but rather leave a tough stub
about 6 inches long.

Currently the tree is about 20 feet tall, 4 feet diameter at the base
and 3 feet diameter beneath where the leaves start.

Anyone have any idea what tree this is?

Cheers,

eddiec :-)

"pc" wrote in message
ups.com...
hi everyone,

I am trying to identify a palm tree in our backyard. It's non fruiting
and has long thorns at the base of the leaves. The old fallen off
leaves don't trim flush with the trunk but rather leave a tough stub
about 6 inches long.

Currently the tree is about 20 feet tall, 4 feet diameter at the base
and 3 feet diameter beneath where the leaves start.

Anyone have any idea what tree this is?

Cheers,

eddiec :-)


Sounds like a Washingtonia aka Cotton Palm or Fan Palm. Do an image search
on www.google.com for "Washingtonia robusta" and "Washingtonia filifera".

People here try to sell them for $500 or more. Others try to give them away.
Yet more bite the bullet and pay a tree lopper to cut it down. Yet another
$10 plant the costs you heaps to get rid of.

Untrimmed Washingtonia's provide the perfect habit for rats to nest and
breed.

Cheers

Richard

g'day eddiec,

i would be looking more to the date palms with those long spikes at
the base of the fronds, could be canary island date palm? or sheck out
the oil palms.

if you could provide a pic online might help also.



snipped
With peace and brightest of blessings,

len

--
"Be Content With What You Have And
May You Find Serenity and Tranquillity In
A World That You May Not Understand."

http://www.gardenlen.com

hi everyone,

thank you very much for the feedback.

I had a look on google images and the tree is not any of the ones
suggested, so I have put some photos at
http://chalk.gallery.netspace.net.au/album01

any suggestions?

cheers,

eddiec :-)




gardenlen wrote:
g'day eddiec,

i would be looking more to the date palms with those long spikes at
the base of the fronds, could be canary island date palm? or sheck out
the oil palms.

if you could provide a pic online might help also.



snipped
With peace and brightest of blessings,

len

--
"Be Content With What You Have And
May You Find Serenity and Tranquillity In
A World That You May Not Understand."

http://www.gardenlen.com

In article .com,
"pc" wrote:

hi everyone,

thank you very much for the feedback.

I had a look on google images and the tree is not any of the ones
suggested, so I have put some photos at
http://chalk.gallery.netspace.net.au/album01

any suggestions?

Looks like a Canary Island Date Palm to me --
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canary_Island_Date_Palm

Very common as a street/park tree in older suburbs of Sydney, but they are
replacing them with some other palm these days, probably because of the
maintenance costs -- the leaves aren't self-pruning.

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"Parenthood is like the modern stone washing process for denim jeans. You may
start out crisp, neat and tough, but you end up pale, limp and wrinkled."
Kerry Cue

"pc" wrote in message
oups.com...
hi everyone,

thank you very much for the feedback.

I had a look on google images and the tree is not any of the ones
suggested, so I have put some photos at
http://chalk.gallery.netspace.net.au/album01

any suggestions?

cheers,

eddiec :-)




gardenlen wrote:
g'day eddiec,

i would be looking more to the date palms with those long spikes at
the base of the fronds, could be canary island date palm? or sheck out
the oil palms.

if you could provide a pic online might help also.



snipped
With peace and brightest of blessings,

len

--
"Be Content With What You Have And
May You Find Serenity and Tranquillity In
A World That You May Not Understand."

http://www.gardenlen.com


Yup Canary Island Date palm. I was thinking Washingtonia after the
description of thorns as I would described Canary Island Date Palms more as
spikes. Pictures overrule my original thoughts.

If pruning the fronds off just watch it. They can cause temporary paralysis
if they puncture the skin. These palms are also loved by rats.

Cheers

Richard

looks like an oil palm pc?



On 15 Aug 2006 23:59:50 -0700, "pc" wrote:

snipped
With peace and brightest of blessings,

len

--
"Be Content With What You Have And
May You Find Serenity and Tranquillity In
A World That You May Not Understand."

http://www.gardenlen.com