Sunny day: Arizona State University’s iconic Palm Walk to undergo renovations

PHOENIX — The palm trees that make up the iconic Palm Walk on Arizona State University’s Tempe campus are rumored to be replanted soon, according to ASU Now.

Palm Walk, a half-mile-long pedestrian mall lined with 215 Mexican fan palm trees, was first implemented by former university president Arthur John Matthews in 1916.

The walkway will soon turn 100-years-old, leading to many of the 65-feet-tall palm trees having to be replaced with a lifetime of up to 110 years.

https://twitter.com/ASUGrounds/status/693814293775540225

The trees that currently line Palm Walk are rumored to be replaced with date palms, which are around 20 feet in height when planted. They will eventually grow to be 80-feet-tall and will provide more shade on the campus.

Palm Walk initially marked the eastern boundary of the campus, but as the university grew in size, it eventually served as a central artifact. Trees of matching height and age were also added as the walk extended.

Ellen Newell, director of Grounds Services, said even though the university has not conceived a timeline for the renovations, officials have estimated the project to be “expensive, but valuable.”

“The replacements will probably be done in increments, a section at a time,” she said in a 2013 interview with ASU Now. “The removal of the old palms will also be expensive as it will need to be done with cranes, and the irrigation system will need to be updated.”

For students who are feeling nostalgic over seeing their beloved palm trees go, no worries: the actual replacement will not take place for a while, university landscape architect Byron Sampson said.

“There is a desired plan of action, and as with anything, there is the reality,” he said in an interview with ASU Now.

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