California Fan Palm (Washingtonia filifera)
Scientific Name: Washingtonia filifera
?Native tree
?Native to the Sonoran Desert
?Many species use this tree as a home, living in the thatch of dead leaves that forms in layers on the trunk, ie; Orioles, lizards, scorpions, spiders and paper wasps
?Giant palm borers (thumb sized beetles) nest and mate in this tree as well as use the trunk tissue for food during their pupae stage
?Has tiny white to cream colored flowers
?Bears small hard fruit in huge bunches during the fall
?The fruit is eaten by coyotes and were previously harvested by Native Americans
?The leaves can be used for waterproof shelter that lasts for years; the trunks are used to make corrals and fences
?Only grows where water is near the grounds surface
? Is thick trunked and grows to about 45 ft.
?Can live 150 to 200 years
