joerockclimber's Identifications

Name: Phoenix canariensis
Method of Identification: Seek and Calphotos
Notes: The observation and the example look extremely congruent as the shape and the size of the plants are same. The growth pattern id also same as the trees grew with couple feets away.

A quite mature and large individual, growing at the top of Puddingstone Hill, in the San Jose Hills range, on the San Dimas and La Verne borderline. This tree was almost certainly planted, many decades ago, when this hill was a better known vista point, before the trail overgrew and became cut off by housing development. However, the trees planted here are not being maintained at all now, and are seeding new individuals all around the hilltop (e.g. http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/82433631), so I think it is reasonable to consider it wild. Leaves not glaucous at all, dark like olive leaves above/adaxially, and lighter green below/abaxially. In flower and fruit, with a very thick bed of old fruits on the ground all around it (see photo # 10). Coin used for scale is a US quarter dollar (¢25 piece), 24.26 mm, 0.955 inch in diameter.