Close your eyes for a moment and picture your quintessential Southern California landscape. We’re guessing that the image you’ve imagined contains a blue sky sprinkled with palm fronds. While palm trees are overwhelmingly present in the Greater La Cañada area, you may be led to believe that they’re native to the region. However, only one species, the California Fan Palm, is native to Southern California. The remaining palm trees in the area have all been imported. Unfortunately, planting any tree outside its natural habitat usually requires a lot of maintenance.

Maintaining Your Palm Trees’ Health  

Another common misconception that Angelinos have about palm trees is that they’re master desert dwellers. Although palm trees conjure up images of La Cañada as a desert oasis, these trees actually owe their iconic status to engineering feats completed by the Los Angeles Department of Power and Water around 1942. In reality, palm trees need an abundance of water and care to maintain their health. In addition to ensuring that your palm tree is adequately watered, we suggest considering an annual skimming or trimming service. Let’s go over what “skimming” your palm tree entails.

What Does Skimming A Palm Tree Mean?  

“Skimming” a palm tree simply means that dead fronds and their remains are carefully removed from the tree. It’s generally recommended that palm trees be skimmed during the spring. This way, the dead fronds that your tree has accumulated over the past year can insulate the tree throughout the colder winter months. Leaving dead or decaying fronds on your palm tree can create nesting sites for pests like yellow jackets and mites, and in the Greater La Cañada area, it can also pose a fire hazard. Therefore, skimming your palm tree is more of a necessity than you may realize.