California Fan Palm

Native to deserts of the southwestern US and Baja California, Mexico, California fan palms cluster around year-round sources of water: streams, springs, and seeps. They are the only palm native to the western US, where they tolerate hot summer and freezing winter temperatures. They provide shade and shelter, habitat for wildlife including canyon tree frogs Hyla arenicolor, Pacific chorus frogs Pseudacris regilla, Baja ratsnakes Bogertophis rosaliae, western yellow bats Lasiurus xanthinus, and many birds. Their fruits ripen and drop in winter, providing food for coyotes Canis latrans, which are important seed disseminators for these palms.