Los Angeles County Department of Public Works street tree program shifts from non-native palms toward native shade species under community plan policies, citing low shade canopy and water inefficiency of palms.
Palms are not native to the LA Basin except for the California fan palm (Washingtonia filifera) of desert oases. The LA County Department of Public Works, which manages street trees in unincorporated areas, no longer plants Mexican fan palms, queen palms, or king palms as new street trees. Aging palms reaching end-of-life are replaced with native or climate-adapted shade trees such as coast live oak, sycamore, and crape myrtle to expand canopy cover and meet Sustainability Plan goals. Removal of an existing palm requires a county tree permit under Title 22.56 if on private property and trunk diameter exceeds eight inches. Many incorporated cities including Los Angeles operate parallel palm phase-out policies.
Removing a palm from county rights-of-way without a DPW permit, planting unauthorized palm species in newly developed parkways, or violating community plan tree palette rules can result in restoration orders and tree replacement billing.
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