Palm doctors: Vatican plants to get health checkup

Published: 2008-03-11

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Italian palm growers, researchers and artists will donate thousands of palms -- including 300 braided-palm works of art -- to the Vatican for the Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square. But the real gift -- from Italy's Center for Palm Studies and Research in San Remo -- will turn attention from the square March 16 into the Vatican gardens the next day. The center is not donating palm trees to the Vatican; there already are plenty there. The Vatican palms are getting a health checkup. With the red palm weevil boring into and killing palm trees throughout the Mediterranean, the center has offered the Vatican its phytosanitary services. The March 17 visit will include an evaluation of the condition of the Vatican palms, cataloging the species present, treating any sick palms and undertaking preventive care, said a statement released March 11 at the Vatican. Radio transmitters also will be attached to some of the palms to provide constant monitoring.

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