Virginia Tech Dendrology

Mexican fan palm Arecaceae Washingtonia robusta H. Wendl. symbol: WARO
Leaf: Alternate, evergreen, palmately compound, fan shaped, leaf stalks long and armed with curved teeth, leaflets lance shaped, gray-green in color, overall leaf 3 to 6 feet in diameter, leaflet edges heavily bearing fibrous white strands or filaments.
Flower: Small white flowers occurring on large (several feet), branched clusters, appearing in late spring.
Fruit: Fleshy black drupe, nearly round, 1/3 to 1/2 inch across, maturing early fall and persisting.
Bark: Gray-brown, tough, splits vertically.
Form: A very slender straight trunk with a tuft of leaves at the top, commonly to 60 feet (may reach 100 feet), without pruning the trunks are often sheathed in dead leaves (a "skirt") that extend nearly to the ground.
Looks like: California fan palm - cabbage palmetto

Additional Range Information: Washingtonia robusta is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDA Plants Database - Horticulture Information
All material 2021 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information