Brahea armata
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Brahea armata, commonly known as Mexican blue palm or blue hesper palm, is a large evergreen tree of the palm family Arecaceae, endemic to Baja California, Mexico. It is widely planted as an ornamental.
Description
It grows to a height of Script error: No such module "convert".,[1] with a stout trunk. Its distinctly bluish leaves are Script error: No such module "convert". wide, with Script error: No such module "convert". long petioles. The leaves are persistent in nature, forming a shag around the trunk; in cultivation they are typically burned or cut off. The inflorescences extend out beyond the crown, reaching Script error: No such module "convert". in length. The flowers themselves are small, appearing in February and March, while the fruits are Script error: No such module "convert". in length, brown and with a generally ovoid to globose shape.
Distribution and habitat
This species is endemic to the Mexican state of Baja California, distributed from just south of the international border near the Jacumba Mountains to the central desert and Isla Angel de la Guarda. Plants growing in the Sierra de San Francisco in Baja California Sur may be of a different species.[2] 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.
Uses
Brahea armata has an attractive appearance, especially when young, and is commonly available at nurseries in the American southwest and in warm temperate locations elsewhere. In the UK it has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[3] It is drought tolerant (although occasional deep irrigation is recommended), can handle both partial shade and full sun, and temperatures down to Script error: No such module "convert".. 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.
- Cultivated plants
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Mature pair of Brahea armata, Phoenix AZ
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Brahea armata setting seed
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Group planting of Brahea armata, Phoenix, AZ
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Juvenile pair of Brahea armata
References
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Further reading
- Raymond M. Turner, Janice E. Bowers, and Tony L. Burgess, Sonoran Desert Plants: an Ecological Atlas (Tucson: The University of Arizona Press, 1995) pp. 115–116