Welcome to the South Coast Plaza Palm Tour

We hope you enjoy South Coast Plaza’s diverse palm collection, which is unique in Southern California. The core of our collection comes from the estate of Dr. A.J. Vance. Dr. Vance began collecting exotic palms in the late 1940s at his canyon estate located off Sunset Boulevard. The collection was recognized for both its size and diversity of plantings.

After Dr. Vance’s death in the early 1980s, the collection was acquired by South Coast Plaza and transplanted to its present location in 1986. With the help of Ralph Velez, Larry Black and the International Palm Society, South Coast Plaza continues to add unique specimens to its collection.

All 87 unique palms are labeled with their common name, botanical name and most have country of origin. Particularly noteworthy are seven palms throughout our collection that we have highlighted in the digital brochure.

We are honored to share our collection with you and hope you enjoy this interesting and educational tour.

We would like to thank Ralph Velez (past president) and Larry Black, president of Southern California Palm Society for their continued collaboration in helping develop one of the most acclaimed palm collections in Southern California.

Guided Palm Tours

Take a walk and enjoy the vast palm specimens on the grounds of South Coast Plaza on Bear Street.

Download and View the Walking Tour Brochure and Map

 
CHARACTERISTICS OF PALMS IN THE SOUTH COAST PLAZA BEAR STREET PALM COLLECTION

Clustering Palms
Solitary Palms
Palms with Irritating Fruit
Palms That Grow Well in Partial Shade
Palms with Spines or Teeth
Highly Drought-Tolerant Palms
Fast-Growing Palms
Palms that Grow in Low Light

Noteworthy Palms

Particularly noteworthy are seven palms throughout our collection that we have highlighted in this digital brochure.

View the Brochure