Washingtonia × filibusta filibuster fan palm

Filibuster fan palms at EVGR Pavilion. Sairus Patel, 17 Feb 2023

Crosses between California fan palm (W. filifera) and its more svelte Mexican cousin (W. robusta) have been observed for decades, but it was not until 2014 that a hybrid name was formally published: W. × filibusta, a rather cheeky portmanteau. Sharpen your eye by trying to discern its parents’ traits. The trunk lacks the pronounced basal flare of W. robusta, yet it does not attain the great girth of W. filifera. Frond color and degree of gloss lies intermediate between those of its parents. Fourteen specimens are arranged formally in and around the semi-enclosed courtyard of Escondido Village Graduate Residences Pavilion. Twenty-one more are arrayed in three rows in front of the cafe at Stanford Redwood City (505 Broadway).