Plant · GBIF taxon 5294595
Mexican Fan Palm
Washingtonia robustaAlso known as Mexican Washingtonia, Skyduster, Thread Palm
Towering high above streetscapes and desert oases, Mexican fan palms are iconic evergreen trees with remarkably slender, ringed trunks that taper as they reach skyward. Their palmate green fronds form a compact crown, beneath which dead leaves often collapse into a persistent skirt that shelters birds, bats, and small rodents. Native to spring-fed desert canyons of northwestern Mexico, these resilient palms thrive in intense heat while expanding across subtropical urban landscapes worldwide.
TallEvergreenDrought-Tolerant
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Sunlight
- Water
- Soil Nutrients
Predators
- South American Palm Weevil
- Rodents
- Birds
ThreatsPalm weevil infestation, severe frost, fires
HabitatsDesert oases, canyons, urban environments
Life span100–150 years
Classification
- OrderArecales
- FamilyArecaceae
- GenusWashingtonia
- SpeciesWashingtonia robusta
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Urban Spotting: Look for extremely tall, slender trunks towering high above city streetscapes.
- Skirt Observation: Check the trunk below the crown for dense collars of persistent dead fronds.
- Storm Awareness: Avoid standing underneath during high winds when heavy dead fronds can fall.
Similar Palm (c) tato grasso, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Frequent Companion (c) Jesús Cabrera, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Thibaud Aronson, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Thibaud Aronson · cc-by-sa
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