Phoenix roebelenii pygmy date palm

Pygmy date palms, California Avenue, Stanford Research Park (now removed). Sairus Patel, 22 Nov 2023

The smallest of commonly planted palms in horticulture, pygmy date palm is, curiously, nowhere to be seen on central campus. Several are placed in pots on the open plaza at Middle Plaza, Stanford’s new development at 500 El Camino Real in Menlo Park. In the Stanford Research Park, five once lined the entryway to 901 California Avenue before the site was cleared in 2026. Groups stand in front of 431–453 Stanford Avenue in Palo Alto, some now approaching 10 feet, the maximum height of the species.

Name derivation: Phoenix – See P. dactylifera entry; roebelenii – after the German orchid collector Carl Roebelen (1855–1927).