This is a somewhat interesting and slightly odd choice by Eduard. Washingtonia filifera is native to the Western US, and doesn’t really reside outside the region except for cultivated landscaping. It is primarily found around spring-fed oases in the low desert of Colorado, hot springs of Nevada, and rivers within Arizona and California. It has also been found in Florida and the Virgin Islands as well, most likely from transplants used as ornamental trees. The full tree can grow up to 60 feet in height, with shorter examples being seen in gardens and younger plants. A distinguishing characteristic are the long white fibrous threads that are between the segments of the leaflets. On adult trees, dead fronds stay attached to the tree and drop, forming a skirt around the trunk that can extend the entire height of the tree if left wild. These trees are also very long-living, with examples living between 80 to 250 years!

Eduard’s new set provides ten fronds fully colored to assist the modeler in building a small example of the Washingtonia filifera.

The Set

In the standard Eduard plastic package, you receive a single large fret containing a total of ten full fronds. The fret is colored on both sides, with a full range of greens and greenish-yellow that looks very close to the coloring of an actual palm. After a close look, it appears that they are all the same design, but only have a few slight variations in size. However this will be of little consequence for, once they are removed and bent to shape, it will be nearly impossible to tell that they are all similar.

Use

As with the other recent Eduard coconut palm release, this one also is only good for some detail fronds. If one was going to attempt to make a whole tree, not only would that require a trunk to be made somehow, but a small fortune to purchase additional sets to fill in an adult tree! Obviously that is not what Eduard had in mind with this set.

A better use for this set would be for a small diorama use or figure vignette where the fronds are used as ground clutter or elements of a camouflaged position. They could also be used to make a small young plant, but again this would require the construction of a trunk. Another use, and what I plan on doing, is using them as “palmetto” plants. The general shape of the frond is almost identical, and by removing the extra “threads” from the ends of the leaflets, you would get a palmetto frond that is quite prevalent in the SE United States. Many military survival schools and training camps are located in the southeast, so they could be used to make at least one or two plants. Long stems can be made from Evergreen half round, tapered on the end that the frond is glued to. Palmettos may be prevalent in other tropical regions as well.

To use them, simply cut them from the fret and bend them into a natural position, or to conform to your use. There really isn’t much else to them, and that is probably why Eduard didn’t even bother to include any instructions with the set, as there is no need for them.

Conclusions

These really are some nice looking palm fronds. With the right application, they could add a lot of detail to a small diorama, or as camouflage for a tank, or even a sniper figure. The coloring is amazing and very naturally done. They are a bit pricey, but could really add a lot to a vignette. I’m already envisioning a tiger-stripe Special Forces operator crouching beneath a few fronds, or a sniper taking aim through the full plant!

Many thanks to Eduard for the sample and to IPMS/USA for the opportunity to review it.