In the mid 1700's, Father Junipero Serra left Spain to come to Baja California to establish a series of missions. On the trip, it was customary to stop off at the Spanish controlled Canary Islands off the coast of Africa for water and supplies. One of the ideas that Father Serra and his colleagues had was to bring seeds of plants that they wanted to plant around their missions with them. Reportedly seeds of the Canary Island Date palms were gathered and made the trip down the coast of Africa, around the cape of South America and up the Pacific Ocean to Baja California on his wooden sailing ship where they were planted around the first missions in Mexico. They were planted for their majestic beauty and their fronds were used in ceremonies such as Palm Sunday.

As Father Serra moved northward arriving at the present site of San Diego in 1769 to establish a mission, then moving North to San Juan Capistrano and Santa Barbara the seeds of the first Canary Island Date palms were planted on the mission grounds here in California.

They make such an instant statement when I install them.. what an awesome palm!