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Palms are ubiquitous as landscaping plants in many urban areas. Dispersed by frugivorous birds and often tolerated as self-seeded plants by the property owners, Phoenix canariensis (Canary Islands date palms) and two species of fan palms (Washingtonia robusta and Washingtonia filifera) in particular, have become established in many urban spaces. This paper examines the establishment of such self-seeded palms as epiphytic growth in crooks and branch scars of suburban street trees. Given the limited nutrient availability and the restricted space for rootmass development, these palms undergo a natural bonsai process. Some palms have persisted for over a decade without reaching sexual maturity. While the epiphytic growth demonstrates the palms' further dispersal capability, it does not appear to increase their potential invasiveness into new areas of land.
Washingtonia robusta (Mexican Fan palm) is endemic to the semi-arid zone of California and northern Mexico. Dispersed globally by the horticultural trade, the species has demonstrated its ability to successfully invade disturbed areas and urban landscapes in warm temperate climates. Once established, the plant is extremely hardy. This paper presents the first documented instance of the successful establishment and growth of Washingtonia robusta in a pond in continually flooded wetlands at Albury, the first record of it naturalising in New South Wales.