Tree of the Month | Washingtonia Robusta

The soaring skyduster of Moonee Valley

December Tree of the Month: Washingtonia Robusta

Location: Ardoch Street, Essendon

Common name: Mexican Fan Palm

Botanical name: Washington Robusta

Height: Over 30.5m

Diameter: 25.4-30.5cm

Life expectancy: Up to 500 years old

For our final Tree of the Month for 2025, we’re celebrating one of the most soaring heights in Moonee Valley’s landscape, the Washingtonia Robusta, commonly known as the Mexican Fan Palm or ‘skyduster’.

The soaring skyduster of Moonee Valley. December Tree of the Month, Washingtonia Robusta

Native to the desert mountain valleys and canyons of Baja and Sonora Mexico, this palm is a familiar feature in warm temperatures across the world and is known for its hardiness in tough climates. The skyduster is a popular landscape plant across the USA in places such as California, Florida and Arizona.

Here in Moonee Valley, we might not quite be downtown LA. This palm in Ardoch Street, Essendon is a particularly impressive specimen and is the tallest Washingtonia robusta on the National Trust Register of Significant Trees. Its impressive height can be seen from a considerable distance, acting as a natural landmark in the area.

Soaring to more than 30 metres, Washingtonia robusta lives up to its reputation as the skyscraper of the palm world. The palm features a tall, narrow grey trunk marked with the scars of old leaves and is topped with a canopy of glossy, deep-green, fan-shaped fronds. As the older fronds die back and fall against the trunk, they create the characteristic ‘hula skirt’ appearance the species is known for.

Stay tuned for next month’s tree of the month, where we will explore another unusual and unique planting in our municipality!