Syagrus romanzoffiana queen palm

Queen palm at History Corner (now removed). Sairus Patel, 11 Nov 2016

Instantly distinguish this palm from other feather palms on campus by its plumose fronds: the pinnae are arranged loosely around the central stalk rather than lying in a single flat plane, as in the Canary Island date palm. The effect is a ruffled, rather windblown silhouette. Just below the crown, long, tapering leafbases clasp the trunk; when removed, they leave behind a smooth, silvery gray trunk marked with regular rings. Clusters of one-inch orange dates follow the flowers and, in warmer parts of California where the species fruits prolifically as a street tree, create a gloriously colorful mess on sidewalks.

A queen palm has appeared in maps of the Inner Quad, in the inner southwest island, at least since 1955, labeled variously under its former genus Arecastrum and under the older (and descriptive) name Cocos plumosa, but the last was removed around 2005. One remained in the academic area, in the courtyard north of Building 10, but was removed in 2020 during renovation of the area. You can see three at 625 Mayfield Avenue, the tallest about 60 feet. In Palo Alto, four are at 419 Palm Street, their trunks sometimes wound with strings of lights that mimic the pattern of leaf scar rings. A handsome row lines 3440 Ramona Street. A couple of dozen border Montage Circle in East Palo Alto, lending a tropical flair to the neighborhood.