Palmeral of Elche
Encyclopedia
The Palmeral of Elche is a plantation of palm trees
in the Spanish
province of Alicante
. It is the largest palm grove in Europe and one of the largest in the world, surpassed in size only by some in Arab
countries.
The Palmeral includes the Parque Municipal and many other orchard
s (huertos), covering over 3.5 km² (1.4 sq mi), including 1.5 km² (0.579153237888803 sq mi) within the city of Elche (Elx). It contains more than 11,000 palm trees, mostly date palms (Phoenix dactylifera), with individual specimens up to 300 years old. At its peak, in the 18th century, it may have covered an area twice as large, with up to 200,000 trees. The dates are harvested in December. A famous date palm is the "Imperial Palm" (Palmera Imperial), with 7 stems in the shape of a candelabra
, named after Elisabeth
, known as Sissi, the Empress consort
of Franz Joseph, who visited the plantation in 1894.
It is thought that palms were originally planted in this location as early as the 5th century BC by Carthaginians
who settled
in south-east Spain. The plantation survived under the Romans
and was expanded under the rule of the Moors
, including the irrigation
system extended in the times of Abd ar-Rahman I
and which remains in use. The formal landscape of the palmeral that still exists today was created when the city was under Moorish control in the 10th century. This transfer of landscape and agricultural practices from one culture and continent to another (Moorish Africa to Christian Europe) is the reason for inclusion as a UNESCO
world heritage site. Although the area has an annual rainfall of only 300 mm (11.8 in), the palm trees planted along a network of irrigation canals from the salty River Vinalopó
creates a patchwork of agricultural plots (huertos), each demarcated and shaded by the palm trees to create a protected microclimate
. Laws were passed to protect the plantation after the Reconquista
.
In 2005, it was discovered that the larva
e of the red palm weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus
) had infested some trees, laying its eggs inside the stems.
Arecaceae
Arecaceae or Palmae , are a family of flowering plants, the only family in the monocot order Arecales. There are roughly 202 currently known genera with around 2600 species, most of which are restricted to tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate climates...
in the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
province of Alicante
Alicante (province)
Alicante or Alacant is a province of eastern Spain, in the southern part of the Valencian Community. It is bordered by the provinces of Murcia on the southwest, Albacete on the west, Valencia on the north, and the Mediterranean Sea on the east...
. It is the largest palm grove in Europe and one of the largest in the world, surpassed in size only by some in Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
countries.
The Palmeral includes the Parque Municipal and many other orchard
Orchard
An orchard is an intentional planting of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit or nut-producing trees which are grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of large gardens, where they serve an aesthetic as well as a productive...
s (huertos), covering over 3.5 km² (1.4 sq mi), including 1.5 km² (0.579153237888803 sq mi) within the city of Elche (Elx). It contains more than 11,000 palm trees, mostly date palms (Phoenix dactylifera), with individual specimens up to 300 years old. At its peak, in the 18th century, it may have covered an area twice as large, with up to 200,000 trees. The dates are harvested in December. A famous date palm is the "Imperial Palm" (Palmera Imperial), with 7 stems in the shape of a candelabra
Candelabra
"Candelabra" is the traditional term for a set of multiple decorative candlesticks, each of which often holds a candle on each of multiple arms or branches connected to a column or pedestal...
, named after Elisabeth
Elisabeth of Bavaria
Elisabeth of Austria was the spouse of Franz Joseph I, and therefore both Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary. She also held the titles of Queen of Bohemia and Croatia, among others...
, known as Sissi, the Empress consort
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
of Franz Joseph, who visited the plantation in 1894.
It is thought that palms were originally planted in this location as early as the 5th century BC by Carthaginians
Carthage
Carthage , implying it was a 'new Tyre') is a major urban centre that has existed for nearly 3,000 years on the Gulf of Tunis, developing from a Phoenician colony of the 1st millennium BC...
who settled
Carthaginian Iberia
The Carthaginian presence in Iberia lasted from 575 BC to 206 BC when the Carthaginians were defeated at the Battle of Ilipa in the Second Punic War.-Background:...
in south-east Spain. The plantation survived under the Romans
Hispania
Another theory holds that the name derives from Ezpanna, the Basque word for "border" or "edge", thus meaning the farthest area or place. Isidore of Sevilla considered Hispania derived from Hispalis....
and was expanded under the rule of the Moors
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
, including the irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
system extended in the times of Abd ar-Rahman I
Abd ar-Rahman I
Abd al-Rahman I, or, his full name by patronymic record, Abd al-Rahman ibn Mu'awiya ibn Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan was the founder of the Umayyad Emirate of Córdoba , a Muslim dynasty that ruled the greater part of Iberia for nearly three centuries...
and which remains in use. The formal landscape of the palmeral that still exists today was created when the city was under Moorish control in the 10th century. This transfer of landscape and agricultural practices from one culture and continent to another (Moorish Africa to Christian Europe) is the reason for inclusion as a UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
world heritage site. Although the area has an annual rainfall of only 300 mm (11.8 in), the palm trees planted along a network of irrigation canals from the salty River Vinalopó
Vinalopó
The Vinalopó is a small river flowing through the Alicante province, of Spain. It flows from north to south and, with a length of 81 km., it is the longest of the rivers which flows for its entire length within the limits of this province...
creates a patchwork of agricultural plots (huertos), each demarcated and shaded by the palm trees to create a protected microclimate
Microclimate
A microclimate is a local atmospheric zone where the climate differs from the surrounding area. The term may refer to areas as small as a few square feet or as large as many square miles...
. Laws were passed to protect the plantation after the Reconquista
Reconquista
The Reconquista was a period of almost 800 years in the Middle Ages during which several Christian kingdoms succeeded in retaking the Muslim-controlled areas of the Iberian Peninsula broadly known as Al-Andalus...
.
In 2005, it was discovered that the larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e of the red palm weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus
Rhynchophorus ferrugineus
The red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, is a species of beetle also known as the Asian palm weevil or sago palm weevil. It is relatively large, between two and five centimeters long; usually a rusty red colour, but many colour variants exist and have been often been named as different...
) had infested some trees, laying its eggs inside the stems.
External links
- Elche Spain City overview with detailed map. From a local citizen.
- Information on the picudo rojo (red palm weevil)