View source for Brahea armata

{{SPlantbox
|familia=Arecaceae
|genus=Brahea
|species=armata
|common_name=Mexican blue palm, blue hesper palm", blue fan palm, sweet brahea
|name_ref=Wikipedia
|habit=palm-cycad
|habit_ref=Wikipedia
|lifespan=perennial
|life_ref=Wikipedia
|exposure=sun
|features=evergreen, foliage
|Temp Metric=°F
|jumpin=If this plant info box on watering; zones; height; etc. is mostly empty you can click on the edit tab and fill in the blanks!
|image=Brahea armata form.jpg
|image_width=200
}}
'''''Brahea armata''''', commonly known as '''Mexican blue palm''' or "blue hesper palm", is a [[Arecaceae|palm]] growing in [[Baja California]] on the west coast and in [[Savannah, Georgia]] on the east coast. It is widely planted as an ornamental.

It grows to a height of 15 meters, with a stout trunk. Its distinctly bluish leaves are 1-2 meters wide, with meter-long [[petiole (botany)|petiole]]s. The leaves are persistent in nature, forming a shag around the trunk; in cultivation they are typically burned or cut off. The [[inflorescence]]s extend out beyond the crown, reaching 5 meters in length. The flowers themselves are small, appearing in February and March, while the fruits are 18-24 mm in length, brown and with a generally ovoid to globose shape.

This species is the most widespread endemic palm of the northern peninsula; it is locally common in arroyos and canyon bottoms, and has been observed growing in rock crevices at higher elevations. It is sometimes found with ''[[Washingtonia filifera]]'' or ''[[Washingtonia robusta]]''

''B. armata'' has an attractive appearance, especially when young, and is commonly available at nurseries in the American southwest. It is drought tolerant (although occasional deep irrigation is recommended), can handle both partial shade and full sun, and temperatures down to -10 degrees C. It is found under a variety of names, including "Mexican blue palm", "blue hesper palm", "big blue hesper palm", "blue fan palm", "sweet brahea", and "palma blanca".

The [[Cocopah]] people ate the seeds after roasting them.

{{Inc|
Brahea armata, Wats. (B. glauca, Hort. B. Roezlii, Lindl. Erythea armata, Wats.). Blue Palm. Tall and slender, 40 ft. high: Lvs. very glaucous; petiole narrow, deeply channeled, margined with numerous stout, more or leas hooked, slightly spreading spines; segms. 30-40, sub- lacerate at the apex, slightly filiferous: spadix 18 ft. long or somewhat less, sparingly branched: frs. reddish brown at maturity. Low. Calif.
{{SCH}}
}}

==Cultivation==
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===Propagation===
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===Pests and diseases===
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==Species==
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==Gallery==
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==References==
*[[Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture]], by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963
<!--- xxxxx  *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381  -->
<!--- xxxxx  *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432  -->
<!--- xxxxx  *Sunset National Garden Book. Sunset Books, Inc., 1997. ISBN 0376038608  -->

==External links==
*{{wplink}}

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