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Native Palm Hikes

Posted: Feb 17 2015 9:41 am
by Jim
Last year a map of hikes with native California Fan Palms was either born or brought to my attention. Many people may enjoy hiking or visiting these areas where the one species of palm native to the Western United States can be found, and in a natural setting! The California Fan Palm is the only native species in the US, the other common palms we see in landscaping are not. Mexican Fan Palm is native to Mexico, but not the United States, though habitat is similar. True Date and Canary Island Date Palms are entirely exotic, though still nice. Truth be told, some naturalized groves of them are nice, too.

The map:
http://hikearizona.com/map.php?X=2643

The plant:
http://hikearizona.com/dexcoder=1910

At any rate, the map with hikes known to host these truly native palms is thin. Though many locations in Arizona may be of naturalized Fan Palms, they may still be worth knowing about, since naturalized areas mimics the original habitat. If you know of, or have visited an area with California Fan Palms, and have a hike, not simply a generic road trip photoset without a location, please label these palms so that the map and index of native palm hikes can be expanded. At present, there are only 5 locations listed, or hikes listed, as having native palms, and I know that is a very small sampling of the locations where they can be found.

I have read that there are naturalized groves of California Fan Palms in Death Valley, and other Mohave Desert areas, so these would be especially interesting to locate. I have seen a wikipedia map showing a group somewhere in a mountain canyon west of what looks like Lake Havasu. If anyone has visited these areas, it sure would be great to locate and map the locations, so others can visit and enjoy them.

To help you with palm, the following are NOT California Fan Palms:
http://hikearizona.com/dexcoder=1665772
http://hikearizona.com/dexcoder=1892
http://hikearizona.com/dexcoder=1911

Re: Native Palm Hikes

Posted: Feb 17 2015 9:47 am
by outdoor_lover
There's a couple of "Wild" Palm Trees on the Picketpost Circumference Hike...I didn't do the entire Circumference, but was messing around on some of it and found one...I think there are more that people have Photos of....No Clue what kind of Palm and I think the consensus is, is that they are off-shoots from the nearby Arboretum..... http://hikearizona.com/photo=465023

Re: Native Palm Hikes

Posted: Feb 17 2015 9:48 am
by Jim
Thats is a date palm, Canary Island.

Re: Native Palm Hikes

Posted: Feb 17 2015 10:06 am
by Jim
Going by the plant label, a few generic photosets with GPS locations appear on the map, but these are either not hikes, or do not have a trailhead location.

I think, to have a quality database, we need a hike, even with a short description or at least just a location for the hike, hopefully with directions to the trailhead.

Thanks for you assistance in this matter.

Re: Native Palm Hikes

Posted: Feb 17 2015 10:23 am
by chumley
Thanks for adding the labels. I still can't tell the difference. Other than apparently nobody ever trims the hula skirt off the palms you are looking for.

Re: Native Palm Hikes

Posted: Feb 17 2015 10:26 am
by The_Eagle
I can't tell either... How about this. -> http://hikearizona.com/photo=363610