Now remember if a daily #TreeSquare sounds daunting, it is okay to join weekly or even just pop in occasionally with your trees. The frequency and content of your squares entirely depends on you and your blog. The only absolute rule for joining in with Squares is that your photograph must be square in shape!
Becky B.
In this month’s square’s challenge I will start at home and spiral farther and farther from our current home in Prescott, AZ to share different tree species in my travels. Since trees count for FOTD, all of these posts will work for both Becky B’s Squares and Cee’s Flower of the Day, #FOTD.
In response to Becky B’s post about lounging under the palm tree, this is the Ingrao version of Palm Mania.
California Palms
The first palm trees came to California in 1769 through the Spanish missionaries. California palms came from Mexico and as far away as Egypt, according to one source, KCET.org. Strictly an elegant ornamental tree, they offer little in the way of either shade or fruit. These water-guzzling ornamentals created the illusion of an oasis in the semi-arid climate of Southern California.
Woodlake, California Palms
It didn’t take long for the oasis effect to spread north to the even hotter and drier San Joaquin Valley. Gilbert Stevenson, the man who founded Woodlake, was a Los Angeles investor. In 1912 he created a wide main street for his new town of Woodlake and lined it with palm trees. This picture taken in 2016 documents the existence of trees that are no longer there. In their place are sidewalks and smaller trees, less thirsty trees.
Elderwood, California Palms
The palms in the photo below line Millwood Drive, the road leading to the logging areas in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. They are over 100 years old. Local historians told me that farmers were awarded free palm trees for purchasing orange trees from nurseries in Southern California.
Bellavista Palms
About 100 years after palms were planted along Millwood Drive, my husband Vince planted several Queen Palms at our home, Bellavista. Vince was a Southern California boy, raised in the San Fernando Valley surrounded by the romance of the oasis and Hollywood during the 50s and 60s.
“The Los Angeles area was a wonderful place to grow up,”
Vince
Vince created his paradise at Bellavista.
Old tree removed ready for palm 
Palm trees arrive 
Two men unload the double-trunked queen palm 
They take it to the palm’s assigned spot 
Vince inspects and gets ready to plant. 
Iconic palms add to the paradise ambiance of Bellavista
Thanks for joining me today. What’s in your #TreeSquare? See you tomorrow?
Coming Up
I’ll be back at Writer’s Quotes Wednesdays tomorrow with a new topic of Exploration. Until then, post your comments on Terri’s post for this week’s topic of Writer’s Choice.
I’m so excited to announce that Cathy Cade will be hosting her friend Wendy Fletcher for August Story Chat. Wendy Fletcher is the leader of Cathy’s u3a writing group. For more information about Story Chat and how you can contribute, see my Story Chat page. Don’t forget that Gary A. Wilson’s story, “Sometimes a Miracle” is still open for comments.
The Photographing Public Art Challenge (PPAC) is already coming up on our fifth post right here on my blog at 9:00 am on Friday. I can’t believe it’s been over a month! Thank you all for your many interesting responses. It’s been fun to travel all over the world through your posts. Please post on Cee’s blog until Friday.
Marsha Ingrao - Always Write 
23 responses to “#TreeSquare 13: California Palm Trees”
The palms really are amazing, Marsha. I didn’t realise they lived as long as they do.
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They get like us, though, and some of them show their age and some don’t ! 🙂
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We were surprised to see so many palm trees everywhere we went. They’re certainly striking.
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They are ubiquitous in CA, and some in AZ, but not as much.
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I always associate palm trees with Southern California – or maybe the other way around?!
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Southern California encompasses a large area. We lived in the “South Valley” of the San Joaquin Valley. The northern area didn’t claim us, nor did the southern CA folks, but we had stronger ties to the south. The weather supported palm trees, but they drink a lot of water, which is in short supply in both locations.
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Yes, I’ve never been quite sure where ‘southern’ ended and ‘northern’ began!
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You’re not alone on that. That’s why we consider ourselves the “Other California.” There’s a great book by that name on the Great Central Valley by Gerald Haslam. You would enjoy it.
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I love palm trees; I think every time I have seen one, I have been on vacation. So it’s a nice association!
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They do have that vacation feel, don’t they?
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👍
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They’re rather marvellous
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Thank you so much, Sue. 🙂
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You’re welcome!
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🙂
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so many fabulous palms, and I learnt a lot too 🙂
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Thanks Becky. Wait till you see the next batch. 🙂
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ooh exciting 🙂
hope to visit later but might be tomorrow as I am struggling with toothache.
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I’m so sorry, Becky. That can be miserable. I hope you have been to the dentist. There is no solution other than that if you have an infection and an infected tooth, left untreated, can damage your heart. I don’t mean to scare you, but toothaches can be serious business. I was a dental assistant long ago, but some things don’t change.
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Thanks for the advice Marsha, yes dental visits are booked. Slight delay as my dentist is away and I have a dental phobia so not if I see anyone else. However it is improving, so I am doing okay today 🙂
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Sorry for the lecture. I’m passionate about teeth, of all things! 🙂
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oh no I didn’t think it was a lecture. You are absolutely right to highlight it, and I appreciate your pearls of wisdom 😉
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Thanks, I want you to live a long happy life, without the issue of heart or teeth problems. 🙂
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