Brahea

Plant Characteristics

Lifespan:	⌛	[[Lifespan::Perennial]]
Origin:	✈	Mexico, C America

Cultivation

Exposure:	☼	Sun"Sun" is not in the list (sun, part-sun, shade, unknown) of allowed values for the "Exposure" property.
Water:	◍	Drought tolerant"Drought tolerant" is not in the list (wet, moist, moderate, dry, less when dormant) of allowed values for the "Water" property.

Scientific Names

Arecaceae >

Brahea >

Brahea is a genus of palms in the Arecaceae family. They resemble washingtonias, but have important differences. All Brahea tolerate arid climates. They are sometimes called Hesper Palms. All have large, fan-shaped leaves. There are 11 species described in the genus as follows:

Brahea aculeata Sinaloa Hesper Palm ↕ 12-30 ft. (3.6-4.7 m) ↔ USDA Zones 8b-11 Sunset Zones

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Brahea armata Blue Hesper Palm, Mexican Blue Palm ↕ 40ft ↔ 6-8ft top USDA Zones 8b-10 Sunset Zones 10, 12-17, 19-24. Hardy to 18F/-8C. Slow grower. Trunk is flexible and slim, gray and smooth, 18 in. (45cm) in diameter. Leaves usually fall off, but sometimes are persistent. Bluish/Silver tint to the leaves, can look nearly white, with 25-30 leaves on a healthy tree. Leaves are divided into 40-60 leaflets. Cream colored flowers are very visible and hang low in large clusters, much longer than leaves. Can withstand wind and heat well. Seeds will sprout for a few years after production, but are always sporadic, taking 1-12 months to sprout. The brown round fruit comes in at 0.8 in. (2cm) and is edible.

Brahea brandegeei San Jose Hesper Palm, Palma de Taco ↕ 125ft ↔ USDA Zones Sunset Zones 19, 21-24 Hardy to 26F/-3C. Has flexible, slender trunk. Grows slowly. Native to Baja California and Sonora in Mexico. Leaves are 3ft (1m) long, a light gray/green color, and are shed when old. Trunks 1ft wide. Similar in appearance to Washingtonia robusta, but leaves are stiffer, fruit bigger and flower stalks shorter and less pendulous. Flowers are self fertile, on stalks coming out from among leaves, but shorter than them. Round shiny fruit is brown when ripe, 0.6-0.8 in. (1.5 to 2 cm) diameter.

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Brahea calcarea ↕ 15-30 ft. (4.7-9 m) ↔ USDA Zones 9a-10b Sunset Zones

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Brahea decumbens ↕ ↔ USDA Zones Sunset Zones

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Brahea dulcis Rock Palm ↕ 10-12 ft. (3-3.6 m) ↔ USDA Zones 8b-10b Sunset Zones

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Brahea edulis Guadalupe Palm ↕ 15-45 ft (4.5-13 m) ↔ 10-20 ft USDA Zones 8b-10 Sunset Zones 11-24 Hardy to 18°F (-8°C). Native of Guadalupe Island. Trunk is gray and fissured, 18in. (45cm) diameter, with numerous irregular rings. The old leaves/petioles fall of on their own. Leaves are shiny green, costapalmate, 3-6 ft (90-180 cm) long and 3 ft (90 cm) wide. Each leaf is divided into 70 to 85 segments; petioles, 40 in (1 m) long, with few or no teeth. Prefers regular water in summer, little in winter, drier air, good drainage. Seeds germinate easily in 1-3 months, and will sprout for years. The round and golden fruit are edible as well, tasting something like dates, and measuring 1-1.25 in. (2.5-3.5cm). Flowers in the summer are a creamy yellow, on stalks up to 4 ft (1.2 m) long which appear between the leaves (and are shorter than the leaves).

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Brahea moorei ↕ 36-48 in. (90-120 cm) ↔ USDA Zones 8a-11 Sunset Zones

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Brahea pimo ↕ ↔ USDA Zones Sunset Zones

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Brahea salvadorensis ↕ 10-20 ft. (3-6 m) ↔ USDA Zones 9a-11 Sunset Zones

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Brahea sarukhanii ↕ 10-15 ft. (3-4.7 m) ↔ USDA Zones 9a-11 Sunset Zones

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External links

• Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew - ePIC: Brahea