A Palm Trip along the Via Aurelia

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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.

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