Worthing's Palm Trees

The Worthing Palms are mainly situated in the area between the Pier and the Lido and were planted in April and May of 2002 in time for the Golden Jubilee celebrations.

As you walk towards the Lido, you will pass five palms with very different characteristics; being suckered (having more than one trunk), and possessing short fan shaped leaves. These are European Fan Palms (Chamaerops humilis) that come from Southern Europe and North Africa and can tolerate conditions of extreme aridity and poor soil, often growing in seemingly harsh conditions such as on the Rock of Gibraltar.

The permanently planted 'palms' in the semi-circular beds are Cabbage Palms although the botanists will tell you that they are related to the Lily and are not 'real' palms at all!  Just to confuse matters further their botanical name is Cordyline australis - but they actually come from New Zealand - the term 'australis' merely being botanic speak for Southern.

All three species are considered fairly frost hardy in this very mild and sunny part of the British Isles but the Palms in containers will be moved to a local park over Winter to protect them from possible wind damage - gales not being entirely unknown on the Channel coast!

These and many other species of palm are grown in local gardens, including the Canary Date Palm (Phoenix canariensis) that hails from the Canary Islands but is now grown widely around the world as a popular ornamental palm; (Two more specimens are planted opposite Montague Place to your West) and Brazilian Jelly Palm (Butia capitata) which has produced edible fruit in Worthing's favoured microclimate. Other supposedly 'tender' plants grown locally include Olive (Olea europa), Oleander (Nerium oleander) and even Citrus species; all succeeding without protection.