The fruit from these palms was collected and transported to different locations by Native Americans and wild animals. In other words, the so-called California fan palm is monoecious, but date palms are not.Ĭalifornia and Mexican fan palms both rely on wind and insects for pollination and fruit set. This means fruit can be produced on any California fan palm. This palm, unlike the date palm with separate male and female trees, has both male and female flowers on the same tree. For this reason, I like to call palms “oasis plants.” It’s a common mistake to surround them with rock and no water in sight. Palms in general require water nearby, so they are always found near bodies of water. It is considered a native because it’s commonly found in the desert but only near water. Probably the easiest palm to grow in our area that can be started from seed is called the California or desert fan palm. Desert palms, or California palms, are found as native palms in the desert clustered around water.
