The most common palms along the Riviera are certainly
Phoenix canariensis and Chamaerops humilis. These two seem particularly
well suited to the climate and dryness in summer and succeed in
places where other plants are having a hard time. Together with
Washingtonia, they are also the only palms to be self-reproducing
in undisturbed locations. The 'Canary Island Date Palm' is represented
by many old and large trees, and if well grown, really is an impressive
sight. Other common palms along the Riviera are Washingtonia filifera
and W. robusta, an occasional Phoenix dactylifera, and some Trachycarpus
fortunei, which seem very unhappy in Italy's hot & dry summers,
most of them having only a few leaves, with dried tips. So different
from the lush specimens in northern Italy, around the lakes! The
first really interesting city west of Genova is Imperia, the capital
of Liguria. The coast from here to Monaco has the mildest climate
in all of France and Italy together, with the exception of Sicily.
The January average temperature is over 10¾C and the absolute minimum
has never fallen below -2¾C. This is the region of the Riviera,
where the largest variety of palms and other exotic plants can be
found.
In Imperia, there are many fine public gardens and
parks and rare palms that can be found there include Brahea armata,
a very nice grove of fruiting B. edulis, tall Livistona australis,
L. chinensis and Butia capitata.
After a pleasant drive further along the Via Aurelia,
one reaches San Remo, well known for its Casino. San Remo's public
places are imaginatively planted with many palms, including those
less often seen, such as Rhapis excelsa and Syagrus romanzoffianum.
There is a Butia capitata var. strictior, and one Butia eriospatha,
with its distinctive, woolly spathe. An Archontophoenix cunninghamiana,
in a private garden, provides living proof of San Remo's mild climate.
A Palm Trip along the Via Aurelia
