Oak Bay Palm Trees, Victoria BC

Palm Trees

Palm Saturday Returns to Oak Bay
Sale diversifies to include Monkey Puzzle Trees, Garry Oak Seedlings

Saturday , April 19th credit to Michael Prescott

Now that spring has arrived, thoughts turn to gardening and outside pursuits and preparations are underway for Oak Bay’s Fifth Annual Palm Tree Sale, scheduled for April 19 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. “Palm Tree Saturday” will feature more than just hardy palms this year as the sale has diversified to include Monkey Puzzle trees and offers free Garry Oak seedlings to purchasers. The extremely successful 2007sale revealed a demand for sub-Mediterranean trees in addition to palms.

“There is a great deal of interest in sub-Mediterranean trees, including Windmill Palms, and we looked at it as an opportunity to expand the scope of our sale,” says Michael Prescott, Oak Bay Tourism Board member and palm tree enthusiast. “We also recognize the importance of native plant species. The Garry Oak is a much-loved tree in Victoria and preservation of habitat is important.”

Five and six year old Windmill Palm trees ready for outdoor planting will be sold for $20 each. Smaller Windmill Palm trees will be sold for $10 each and palm tree seedlings will be available for $10 for two pots. Large and small Monkey Puzzle trees will also be for sale in limited quantities for $40 and $20 each respectively. Garry Oak seedlings will be given free to interested purchasers while quantities last and information will be available on Garry Oak habitat. Palm tree seeds will be sold in bags containing a baker’s dozen at a cost of $5 and include information on how to successfully grow palm trees from seed. A representative from Oak Bay’s Green Committee will also be on hand to discuss ways to be more green in the home and yard.

Hardy Palms originate from the rain forests on the lower slopes of the Himalaya Mountains and they have adapted well to Southern Vancouver Island’s temperate climate. Monkey Puzzle trees, named because their spiny trunks make it difficult for a monkey to climb them, are a sub-Mediterranean tree native to Chile and Argentina. They became popular in Victorian-era gardens as a novelty tree and fossil evidence has shown the tree was once abundant in North America.

“Monkey Puzzle trees are like living fossils, they are literally millions of years old. They were probably native plants here once but they were wiped out during the ice age,” says Prescott.

Oak Bay’s Annual Palm Tree Sale will take place on the front lawn of Oak Bay's Municipal Hall, 2167 Oak Bay Avenue, beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday , April 19th. Interested purchasers are advised to arrive early to avoid disappointment.

Proceeds from the Sale benefit the 5th Garry Oak Scout Group and the Rotary Club of Oak Bay.

City cultivates a tropical image for visitors

Credit: Bruce Stotesbury,
Times Colonist

City of Victoria parks
manager Mike Leskiw stands among a small grove of palm
trees on the median at the
corner of Douglas St.
and Tolmie Avenue.

Bill Cleverley
Times Colonist
Friday, September 05, 2003

Cue the warm ocean breezes. Victoria, already Canada's Island paradise, is reinforcing its
banana-belt image.

Parks crews have planted three palm trees in the Douglas Street median near Tolmie Avenue
in the first step of a Mediterranean makeover.

"We're trying to spruce up the city and trying to give it a bit more of a Mediterranean look," Victoria
parks manager Mike Leskiw said Thursday.

"We want to make it noticeable when people come into town on some of the main drags. Where it's possible, we're going to put in some feature beds that help people to see that Victoria is really the
banana belt of Canada."

The city has bought about 10 of the hardy windmill palms, a species which can already be spotted
in other parts of Greater Victoria, including Beacon Hill Park.

"We thought it would be nice for tourists that when they are taking pictures of Victoria there was
some kind of exotic plant around so they could say: 'I was in Victoria and look it's so warm here
(they have palms).' It's a good tourist thing for us if we can promote the city."

While novel to some, the move is disappointing to UVic botanist Nancy Turner.

"As an icon for Victoria, I don't think so," Turner said. "I don't like the idea. I'd much prefer that we
appreciate and enjoy our own wonderful biota that we have here rather than trying to bring other
peoples' backyards to our region."

Native to the Himalayas, the Windmill palm is common in the U.S. southeast and is grown
in other parts of British Columbia as well as Washington state, Ireland, Great Britain and Austria.

The palms, which can grow to 12 metres high, usually retail for about $150 a trunk foot. However,
the city managed to buy these at a substantial discount, Leskiw said.

"If you have a 10-foot palm tree, that's usually $1,500, but the fellow had them and gave us a really
good deal on them."

Planting the exotic trees on medians is nothing new. Tsawwassen recently planted about 20 on
medians with great effect, he said.

Turner, on the other hand, recently saw two palm trees planted to replace a young Garry oak that was "rooted out for a development." It saddened her.

"I just feel like we're losing track of our own heritage and we're trying to get somebody else's,"
she said.

"I'd rather see them planting some native species, some species that are native to here. Even
arbutus would give it a Mediterranean look because they're a Mediterranean species too."

Although better known for its hanging baskets (as well as rubbing the rest of Canada's nose in our moderate climate with the annual spring flower count), the capital city endures the occasional bout
of cold weather and even some snow. Leskiw said the palms are quite hardy and should weather
well.

"Most of the palms around town like those in Beacon Hill and on private property have been here
for a number of years and they've gone through a number of storms."

Windmill Palm Tree at Birds of a Feather Ocean front B&B