They're everywhere! Are they birds? Are
they planes? Are they stamps? Well, yes and no. They're not birds or
planes, but they are on postage stamps issued in April that say "Greetings
From California." What are they?
They're palm trees! Andthere are about
2,800 varieties of them. Some have spines on their trunks, and others are
ringed or covered with fibers. They can grow up to 150 feet tall, and
their leaves look like feathers, fans, fishtails or even wheel spokes.
Palm trees come from all over the world.
The California fan palm is the only palm native to California. Other types
include the king and queen palms, spiny fiber palm, jelly palm, solitary
fishtail palm, Chilean wine palm, lady palm and windmill palm. Can you
imagine what they might look like or how they are used from their names?
Coconut palms grow in the tropics, like
Hawaii, where it is wet and warm. Coconuts have many uses. Their thick
exterior coating is ground up and pressed into charcoal. Their shells can
be made into spoons, knives, bowls, cups and art objects. Inside is a
liquid that can be drunk and a white fruit that can be eaten.
Date palms grow in hot and dry regions,
like the Coachella Valley in the desert near Palm Springs, where their
roots can be close to water. Dates can be eaten or made into sugar.
The trunks of most palms can be used for
building materials. Their leaves can be woven into baskets and mats and
used to construct roofs and sides of dwellings. Palm oil, which is made
from hard nuts, can be used for soap, cosmetics and cooking oil.
You can see some of the palm trees
mentioned above and approximately 5,000 other species of plants at the
Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden. To learn more about the garden call
(310) 825-1260.
This Learning Link was provided by Carol
Felixson from the Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden at UCLA, in the
heart of Westwood. If you want other stories on this topic, search the
Archives at latimes.com/archives.
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