- Reference
- Bot.Zeit. 37:68 (1879)
- Conservation Code
- Not threatened
- Naturalised Status
- Alien to Western Australia
- Name Status
- Current
Tree-like monocot (palm), 12-25 m high, dense crown of fan-shaped, palmate leaves, old leaves forming "shag" below. Riverine deltas and floodplains.
Distribution
- IBRA Regions
- Pilbara, Swan Coastal Plain, Victoria Bonaparte.
- IBRA Subregions
- Chichester, Hamersley, Keep, Perth, Roebourne.
- IMCRA Regions
- Central West Coast.
- Local Government Areas (LGAs)
- Ashburton, Joondalup, Karratha, Serpentine-Jarrahdale, Wanneroo, Wyndham-East Kimberley.
Management Notes (for the Swan NRM Region)
General Biology. Growth form. Tree. Reproduction. Seed. Dispersal. Water, rodents, birds, mammals, contaminated mulch. Time to first flowering. 9+ years. Vegetative regeneration strategy. Does not resprout or produce root suckers. Seedbank persistence. Soil, short/medium, days - 6 years. Fire response. Fire resistant, fire removes the dead thatch material but plants are rarely killed. Fire encourages flowering and fruit production.
Notes. Highly adaptable, growing in a range of climates and soil types. Drought tolerant when fully established. Readily fruits and germinates easily. Seedling recruitment often occurs in a flush during wet years. Hybridises with W. robusta to form Washingtonia x filabusta. Can form dense thickets. Very hardy, drought and frost tolerant. Fruit allelopathically inhibits germination and growth of other species under laboratory conditions.
Additional information. Origin. South-western USA, north-western Mexico. History of use/introduction. Garden escape, widely planted as a landscape ornamental. Similar exotic species. Washingtonia robusta.
Suggested method of management and control. Hand pull seedlings and small plants. Cut older plants at base when not in fruit. Read the manufacturers' labels and material safety data sheets before using herbicides. For further information consult the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority to determine the status of permits for your situation or state.
Management Calendar
| Calendar Type | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flowering | Y | Y | O | O | Y | ||||||||
| Fruiting | Y | Y | Y | Y | |||||||||
| Germination | U | Y | Y | Y | |||||||||
| Optimum Treatment | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Legend: Y = Yes, regularly, O = Occasionally, U = Uncertain, referred by others but not confirmed.
References
- Brown, K. & Brooks, K. (2002) Bushland Weeds: A Practical Guide to their Management. Environmental Weeds Action Network, Greenwood.
- Howard, J.L. (1992) Washingtonia filifera. In U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory. Fire Effects Information System. URL: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants - Accessed December 2007.
- Hussey, B.M.J., Keighery, G.J., Dodd, J., Lloyd, S.G. & Cousens, R.D. (2007) Western Weeds. A guide to the weeds of Western Australia. 2nd Edition. The Plant Protection Society of Western Australia, Victoria Park.
- Navie, S. & Adkins, S. (2008) Environmental Weeds of Australia, An interactive identification and information resource for over 1000 invasive plants. Centre for Biological Information Technology, The University of Queensland.
- Randall, R.P. (2002) A global compendium of weeds. R.G. & F.J. Richardson, Melbourne.
- Starr, F., Starr, K. & Loope, L. (2003) Washingtonia spp. Mexican fan palm and California fan palm. United States Geological Survey - Biological Resources Division, Haleakala Field Station, Maui, Hawaii. URL: http://www.hear.org/Pier/pdf/pohreports/ - Accessed July 2008.
- The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens (2004) California Fan Palm. The Living Desert Palm Desert / Indian Wells California. The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, California. http://www.livingdesert.org/plants/california_fan_palm.asp.