Desert Palm Oasis

"...in the talk of desert men the palm figures constantly. You hear of Dos Palmas, Thousand Palms, Palm Springs, Twenty-nine Palms, Seventeen Palms, Two-Bunch Palms, and so on; and the names mean to the traveller not only water, but shade, with the chance of grass for his animals, and the relief of verdure for his sorely harassed eyes."

Wild and native Desert Palm Oases are found at remote spring-fed locations throughout the Colorado (Sonoran) Desert, primarily where the infamous San Andreas Fault breaches Earth's crust. The California Fan Palm (Washingtonia filifera) can grow up to 60 feet in height (18m) in ideal conditions and can live from 80 to 250 years or more. When palm fronds die, they remain attached to and cloak the trunk in a thick skirt, creating shelter and habitat for many small birds and invertebrates. Native palms were an important resource for local Native Americans. The fruit was eaten raw, cooked, or ground into flour for cakes by and also used to make sandals, thatch roofs, baskets, and more.

Desert Palm Oases are unique and magical places. Coolness can be found in their shade on the hottest of summer days and even the slightest breeze and rustling of palm fronds creates a surreal sense of peace and harmony.