Symbol of the lush lifestyle

Los Angeles may be more of an adoptive than biological parent to palm trees -- only one out of more than 2,500 species is indigenous to California -- but that hasn’t prevented the palm from becoming a botanical synonym for fun in the Southern California sun. Leaser’s new coffee table book captures their variety, from towering California fans to stubby Cuban petticoats. The author, an endangered palm collector who lives in L.A., has selected a disproportionately large number of images from the city, with one notable exception: The book doesn’t include photos of L.A.’s famous palm parade, the towering Mexican fans (Washingtonia robusta, named after George Washington) that line Crescent Drive in Beverly Hills.

Alexandria Abramian-Mott