L.A.’S PALMS PERFECT SET DRESSING

When you’re driving along the palm treelined streets of Los Angeles, it may be more of a set than you realize. Though palm trees would go on to invoke exoticism and paradise as a symbol of L.A., there were barely any of them in the late 1800s when the area was still basically a desert. Hoping to attract people in the 1930s, the city planted tens of thousands of palm trees all over. Since they aren’t technically trees — they’re monocots like corn and bamboo — the towering plants don’t have complex root systems, which makes them relatively easy to transport. That a beautification effort made palm trees synonymous with the city may be appropriate, since despite looking lovely, the plants have barely any practical use. Like much of Hollywood, it turns out the postcard-perfect image of streets lined with palm trees is staged and artificial.