Archive: Ridiculous palm trees

This fan palm is trying to poke out of a storm drain in Altadena. Click to see it bigger.

Palm tree zoo? It's almost as if the three fan palm young 'uns have come to visit a jailed parent.

My Monday segment on KCRW and a collaboration between the LA Review of Books and Flaunt magazine show the ongoing power of the palm in the LA narrative.

The heart of old Van Nuys is lousy with mature fan palms. Indiscriminate placement is the rule.

It's a little sad that some people find the fan palms growing out of Los Angeles area sidewalks and pavement cracks to be exotic — even iconic. Author and journalism prof Lynell George knows better.

It turns out if you plant Mexican fan palms in Utah, they freeze and die. Go figure. Plus Mojave's two bent palms, Moorpark's two criss-crossed trees, and palms for the Bay Bridge?

Here are two more LA palm trees that don't fit with their current locations -- plus one I do admire and KPCC's "Off-Ramp" takes on the subject.

The parking lots at Dodger Stadium have more ridiculous palm trees per square mile than just about anywhere in Los Angeles.

This native Angeleno has finally seen one too many palm trees. Occasionally we'll highlight one that stands out, even in this city of misplaced Washingtonia and Phoenix.