The Mexican Fan Palm, or Washingtonia robusta, is a familiar sight for the people of San Diego. From the streets of Balboa Park to Fallbrook, they can be seen throughout our county, lining our coasts and swaying in the ocean breeze. These palms grow very quickly, reaching heights of up to 100 feet!

Sure, they’re tall and beautiful, but they’re also incredibly hardy. Even though we only get about 12 inches of rain each year, that is more than enough to satisfy their thirst. They’re true survivors and perfect for San Diego terrain!

Besides rarely being thirsty, they also have few health concerns and will not cost you much upfront to spruce up your yard. So, with all that in mind, it’s a no-brainer they are an attractive option to landscapers and homeowners alike throughout California, Florida, Texas, Nevada, and Mississippi. Our famous sunsets just wouldn’t be the same without these beauties as a backdrop.

We have talked up these palms a lot, and they really do live up to the buzz. But they also come with a few challenges of their own. While other species, like the queen palm, self-prune themselves by naturally dropping dead fronds, the Mexican fan palm requires a little more TLC. Without an annual trimming, they develop a thick, unsightly mass of dead palm fronds around the trunk called a “palm skirt” that will keep accumulating unless trimmed off by a tree trimmer or yanked off by strong winds.

When your Mexican fan palm appears to be in need of a haircut, it’s time to call in a professional for help. A Certified Arborist uses safe trimming techniques to make sure your tree stays healthy and in tip-top shape, taking all the necessary precautions, since trimming these palms can be risky—so much so that there are even cases of professional tree trimmers losing their lives in the process.

We have discussed how low-maintenance the Mexican fan palm is in the watering department, but what else makes this palm so resilient? Well, it’s also unbothered by the cold…and the heat. It has an amazing ability to comfortably withstand temperatures from a chilly 41°F up to a scorching 109°F! However, it isn’t happy if temperatures drop down to freezing. Thankfully, that isn’t something we have to worry about here in San Diego (lucky for us!).

And how well does it fare in high humidity? Or during a windstorm? With no issues at all. It is easily able to tolerate high winds and humidity without much fuss at all. This makes it a solid choice to complement any yard, giving it that classic Southern California curb appeal.

The Mexican fan palm is a great choice when you are looking for a tall, hardy palm to add to your property without breaking the bank. They are affordable palms to purchase from nurseries, and they add a touch of California flair to any outdoor space. When annually trimmed, Mexican fan palms can even add a luxurious feel to your property, as seen in many high-end resorts and apartment complexes around San Diego. So do not forget to budget for the annual trimming!

Staying on top of those annual trimmings for your Mexican fan palm keeps the unwanted dead frond skirt from forming down the trunk. Not a fan of your palm wearing a skirt? We get it, it’s not our favorite style either. The heavy layers of sad, dead fronds around the trunk may make it look like its glory days are behind it for good, but they don’t have to be.

Yearly pruning will clean off the debris and once again make it look like the star of the show—and keep it that way. But, looks aren’t the only reason why your palm should avoid wearing a skirt—it is also a fire hazard. Fire loves dry, dead plant matter. It fuels it. And this is a huge concern for San Diego residents, who know firsthand the dangers of wildfires.

Arborists use a variety of trimming techniques, depending on the palm’s needs and the owner’s ultimate goal, whether it be a trimming or a removal. A few of the most common methods we’ll delve into are: skinning, spiking, and using a lift.

Trimming the Mexican Fan Palm isn’t just about making it look more beautiful, it’s also about maintaining its overall health. That’s where skinning comes in: a technique where dead, outer layers of the husk are removed around the palm to smooth the trunk and give it a cleaner overall look. It’s a careful process where only the dead outer layer is removed, leaving the healthy layers of the trunk alone. When done properly, skinning not only makes the tree look better, but also helps keep pests away too. It also stops the dead fronds from soaking up water, saving on your water bill. With a drought always looming in our county, that’s a welcome bonus indeed!

As you can imagine, climbing a 100-foot palm, like the Mexican fan palm, is not for the fainthearted.  For experienced arborists, it’s all in a day’s work. To help them reach these heights, on occasion, a technique called spiking is used. This is where sharp spikes are attached to the arborist’s legs, held together by leather straps and supports. This gear helps them climb up the towering palm.

While this makes it safer and easier for the climber, how does the palm feel about it? Not so great, and how can we blame it? Spiking damages the palm, creating holes up and down the trunk. Imagine a kitten climbing up your leg. Ouch!

If used regularly, spiking can seriously hurt the palm and, over time, even cause death. Since spiking causes so much harm, you are probably wondering why an arborist would ever choose this technique in the first place. Because of the risks, spiking is only used when necessary, such as when a boom or lift cannot able to be used due to the location of the palm or because the arborist does not own such equipment.

The preferred way to trim a palm is using equipment that lifts a tree trimmer up to the crown.  This is most commonly performed with a boom truck and, while not as common, a spider lift.

A boom truck, also known as a boom lift, is an invaluable piece of equipment for arborists. These trucks possess an aerial lift that moves both horizontally and vertically to easily get to work on tall trees. The tallest lifts in the market can reach up to a staggering 200 feet! While great pieces of equipment, they are limited to where they can go, which is why they are primarily used to trim trees or palms that are along a street, parking lot, or driveway.

Spider lifts are similar, but they have an extra wow factor—they look like robotic spiders, hence the name spider lift. Plus, since they are not attached to a truck, they can travel to areas where boom trucks are not able to reach. While most spider lifts can reach up to 50 to 100 feet, the highest reach in the market is up to 170 feet.

Unlike spiking, using a lift does not damage the tree, making it a much preferred method. These lifts are especially handy when working near power lines or dead trees, providing a stable platform, or bucket, for the arborist to safely perform their work. They also take the legwork (literally) out of climbing the tree, making the work a lot less physically exhausting for the arborist.

At the end of the day, safety is our main concern, for both our team and your trees. That’s why LC Tree Service uses leading safety gear and our years of expertise to carefully determine the safest and most effective method for your property and the unique needs of your trees.

Photo credit: Custom Truck

Photo credit: Monitor

We touched on this topic a bit earlier, but tree trimming really is dangerous work. The most obvious danger is the risk of falling, but there are other risks too. That is why it’s so important to follow strict safety standards. It’s because of all the risks that insurance rates are so high for the tree service industry. These high rates is why hiring an experienced and insured professional may not be the cheapest option, but you can be sure that it’s the safest for everyone involved.

It is true that unlicensed contractors who do not have proper insurance can charge a lot less for their services, but at what cost? It is common for these workers to lack the right equipment, skills, and years of experience needed to safely handle complex tree jobs. Not to mention, as the homeowner who hired these unlicensed contractors, you would be responsible if any accidents and injuries occur on your property. When it comes down to it, it’s just not worth the risk for anybody.

The risks are even greater when trimming the Mexican fan palm. Because this palm variety does not shed dead fronds on its own, its heavy layers of fronds can quickly pile up on the trunk and easily weigh hundreds of pounds. Without proper technique and knowledge, this puts the climber at risk of being trapped under the heavy layers of debris and dying of asphyxiation.

Sadly, these cases are not uncommon in our county. Far too many people lose their lives while trimming these palms. According to the California Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) program, at least four trimmers died between February of 2014 and August of 2015. In all of these cases, the workers were unlicensed, and tragically, became trapped and suffocated underneath the heavy fronds.

More recently, another unfortunate death happened. In February of 2023, a tree trimmer from Escondido became trapped under a dense palm skirt while trimming an 80-foot palm. Although his team and emergency crews rushed to rescue him, they were sadly unable to free him in time.

Prioritizing safety—for both your Mexican fan palm and its caretaker—is an important aspect of owning one of these beautiful palms. Hiring a Certified Arborist, who has the experience and safety knowledge on how to properly manicure these palms, makes all the difference. And, their resilience and hardiness mean that they will stand the test of time and beautify your yard for many years to come. There are so many reasons why we love the Mexican fan palm—and why they’ve made themselves so at home here in San Diego County.