Brahea armata

Brahea armata, commonly known as Mexican blue palm or blue hesper palm, is a large evergreen tree of the palm family Arecaceae, native to Baja California, Mexico. It is widely planted as an ornamental.

Brahea armata
A young individual in cultivation
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Arecales
Family: Arecaceae
Genus: Brahea
Species:
B. armata
Binomial name
Brahea armata
Synonyms
  • Brahea armata var. microcarpa Becc.
  • Brahea clara (L.H.Bailey) Espejo & López-Ferr.
  • Brahea elegans (Franceschi ex Becc.) H.E.Moore[1]
  • Brahea glauca Hook.f.
  • Brahea lucida Hook.f.
  • Brahea nobilis Hook.f.
  • Brahea roezlii Linden
  • Erythea armata (S.Watson) S.Watson
  • Erythea armata var. microcarpa Becc.
  • Erythea clara L.H.Bailey
  • Erythea elegans Franceschi ex Becc.[2]
  • Erythea roezlii (Linden) Becc. ex Martelli
  • Glaucothea armata (S.Watson) O.F.Cook
  • Glaucothea elegans (Franceschi ex Becc.) I.M.Johnst.[3]

It grows to a height of 15 metres (49 ft), with a stout trunk. Its distinctly bluish leaves are 1–2 metres (3 ft 3 in–6 ft 7 in) wide, with 1-metre (3 ft 3 in) 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 5 metres (16 ft) in length. The flowers themselves are small, appearing in February and March, while the fruits are 18–24 millimetres (0.71–0.94 in) in length, brown and with a generally ovoid to globose shape.

This species is the most widespread endemic palm of Mexico’s 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.

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.[4] It is drought tolerant (although occasional deep irrigation is recommended), can handle both partial shade and full sun, and temperatures down to −10 °C (14 °F). 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.

References
  1. H.E. Moore Baileya 19(4): 168 1975
  2. Becc. Webbia 2: 138–140 1907
  3. I.M. Johnst. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., ser. 4, 12: 993 1924
  4. "RHS Plantfinder - Brahea armata". Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  • 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
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