I am trying to find the name of this particular plant, which are grown
in abundance around my neighborhood. Anybody know?

http://snipurl.com/plant-from-hell-1

http://snipurl.com/plant-from-hell-2

The second image in particular shows what I hate about them: the tips
of the leaves are as sharp as needles, and have drawn blood from me on
more than one occasion when I've passed them on the sidewalk. A couple
of times it damned near pierced my eyeball -- if I hadn't been wearing
glasses, I'd be blind in one eye today. I will often return with a
kitchen knife and amputate the more menacing of of the leaves.

On 9/21/2009 3:51 PM, Brettster wrote:
I am trying to find the name of this particular plant, which are grown
in abundance around my neighborhood. Anybody know?

http://snipurl.com/plant-from-hell-1

http://snipurl.com/plant-from-hell-2

The second image in particular shows what I hate about them: the tips
of the leaves are as sharp as needles, and have drawn blood from me on
more than one occasion when I've passed them on the sidewalk. A couple
of times it damned near pierced my eyeball -- if I hadn't been wearing
glasses, I'd be blind in one eye today. I will often return with a
kitchen knife and amputate the more menacing of of the leaves.


It's some kind of "feather" palm. "Feather" refers to the form of the
leaves, which have leaflets along a center stalk. That is, the leaves
are pinnately compound, "pinnate" meaning "like a feather".

Another form is "fan" palm, the leaves of which radiate from a small
area at the end of a stalk. That is, the leaves are palmately compound,
"palmate" meaning "like a hand with the fingers extended".

There are a few other leaf forms, but feather and fan account for most
palms.

Do a Web search on "palm" with either "feather" or "pinnate".

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary

A plant expert ID'd this as a Phoenix reclinata, adding that it had
been planted inappropriately. "They make a huge, suckering plant with
about a ten foot or more circumference," he said. "They need room. It
needs to be in the open."

I guess that's what it is...

On 9/22/2009 3:44 PM, Brettster wrote:
A plant expert ID'd this as a Phoenix reclinata, adding that it had
been planted inappropriately. "They make a huge, suckering plant with
about a ten foot or more circumference," he said. "They need room. It
needs to be in the open."

I guess that's what it is...


The common name for P. reclinata is Senegal date palm. It can grow
quite large.

If there are other P. reclinata within a mile or so, this might not have
been planted. Large birds eat the fruit from mature trees and spread
the seeds. "Volunteer" seedlings are quite common.

I suggest you contact the property owner and inform him or her about the
eventual size of this tree, the hazard (and thus liability) it currently
creates for people walking nearby, and the future damage it might cause
the adjacent structure.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary

Hi Folks, I don't know Phoenix reclinata but from the photo I would say that this is what we call in the UK. The Canary Island Date Palm, Phoenix canariensis and yes it is vicious and yes it is fast growing.
Regards from Cornwall UK Lannerman.

On Sep 23, 4:27 pm, lannerman
wrote:



Hi Folks, I don't know Phoenix reclinata but from the photo I would say
that this is what we call in the UK. The Canary Island Date Palm,
Phoenix canariensis and yes it is vicious and yes it is fast growing.
Regards from Cornwall UK Lannerman.


Thank you very much! That is PRECISELY what it is!

Brett