The palm tree has roots in California

Re “Nothing says pretend like a palm tree,” Current, Dec. 3

Contrary to what Gregory Rodriguez would have us believe, nothing says California like a palm tree. Last time I looked, the desert oasis of Palm Springs was only a stone’s throw away from the metro madness of Los Angeles. Palm Springs is home to a natural population of native palms, which provide one of the most beautiful and tranquil backdrops in the entire state: Palm Canyon. There are also many native palm canyons to the south of Palm Springs in the environs of the Anza Borrego State Park. Many palms of the Southwest haunt wonderful riparian habitats, where they remind us of what we were and what we are now. Spend a day, in the middle of a week, out in the desert oasis, and you too will appreciate the palm -- truly emblematic of Southern California.

MARK KOTCH

Delano, Calif.

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Anyone who thinks that replacing palm trees with oaks and sycamores will improve city air quality hasn’t done his homework. The most common L.A. palm tree, Washingtonia robusta, the Mexican fan palm, is a perfect-flowered, self-pollinated, low-pollen producing tree. Sycamores and oaks, on the other hand, pump out great quantities of highly allergenic pollen. Replacing palms with oaks will cause L.A.’s already epidemic levels of allergies and asthma to skyrocket.

If some palm trees are to be replaced, there are many good shade-producing, low-pollen trees to choose from.

But replace all L.A.’s fan palms with sycamore and oak and you’ll have more allergies, asthma and smog. I’m with Rodriguez on this -- save the palm trees.

TOM OGREN

San Luis Obispo

The writer is the author of “Allergy-Free Gardening” (Ten Speed Press, Berkeley).