Brahea armata

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Species of palm

title: "Brahea armata" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["brahea", "trees-of-northern-america", "ornamental-trees", "drought-tolerant-trees", "endemic-flora-of-mexico"] description: "Species of palm" topic_path: "geography/mexico" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahea_armata" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Species of palm ::

| image = Brahea armata 6193267.jpg | image_caption = In habitat | genus = Brahea | species = armata | authority = S.Watson | synonyms = * Brahea armata var. microcarpa Becc.

  • Brahea clara (L.H.Bailey) Espejo & López-Ferr.
  • Brahea elegans (Franceschi ex Becc.) H.E.Moore
  • 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.
  • Erythea roezlii (Linden) Becc. ex Martelli
  • Glaucothea armata (S.Watson) O.F.Cook
  • Glaucothea elegans (Franceschi ex Becc.) I.M.Johnst.

Brahea armata, commonly known as the blue hesper palm or Mexican blue palm, is a flowering plant in the family Arecaceae, native to Baja California, Mexico. Outside its natural range, it is often planted as an ornamental, valued for its striking grey-blue fronds.

Description

It grows to a height of 15 m, with a stout trunk. Its distinctly bluish leaves are 1 - wide, with 1 m 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 m in length. The flowers themselves are small, appearing in February and March, while the fruits are 18 - in length, brown and with a generally ovoid to globose shape.

Distribution and habitat

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Brahea_armata_55075626.jpg" caption="In habitat, Baja California, Mexico"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Brahea_armata_6193266.jpg" caption="Plants growing in 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. 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. It is drought tolerant (although occasional deep irrigation is recommended), can handle both partial shade and full sun, and temperatures down to -10 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. File:MatureBraheaArmataAZ.jpg|Mature pair of Brahea armata, Phoenix AZ File:BraheaArmataSettingSeed.jpg|Brahea armata setting seed File:BraheaArmataClumpPhxAz.jpg|Group planting of Brahea armata, Phoenix, AZ File:JuvenileBraheaArmatapair.jpg|Juvenile pair of Brahea armata File:Brahea armata S.Watson en la PUCP.jpg|Brahea armata near PUCP File:Brahea armata 6zz.jpg|Trunk

References

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. (28 October 2020). "Blaue Hesperidenpalme (Brahea Armata)".
  5. (2016). "Annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Baja California, Mexico". San Diego Society of Natural History.
  6. "Brahea armata". RHS Plantfinder.

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braheatrees-of-northern-americaornamental-treesdrought-tolerant-treesendemic-flora-of-mexico