Upside-down Palm, South Texas

This palm is one of many dead roadside palms in South Texas. There is one native palm species to South Texas, the frost-tolerant Sabal palm. But, many palms that grow there as ornamentals are Washingtonia, a species native to California. They don't tolerate frost, so deep freeze events, which are rare, create numerous dead standing palm skeletons. Locals refer to these as "woodpecker hotels." At least the crowd I hung out with, the staff of the Lower Rio Grande NWR, did. I took this in 1997 when I spent my first AmeriCorps term there.

This tree died and has a new seedling at its base, creating the illusion of an upside-down palm tree. I suspect the dead standing trunk is that of a young Washingtonia, but I can't identify the young one at its base -- the leaves just don't seem right for either. But I'm putting aside my frustration with plant ID and posting this anyway!

Upside-down palm, South Texas, 1997.