Brahea Species, Blue Hesper Palm, Gray Goddess, Mexican Blue Fan Palm

This palm absolutely THRIVES in Southern Utah (zones 8b +). There are quite a few large mature specimens throughout Washington County. Th...Read Moree best ones I know of are at In-N-Out Burger in Washington, Utah (zone 9a) right outside the better known city of St. George. I have NEVER seen any sort of cold, or heat damage on any S. Utah specimens. Brahea armata outperforms Washingtonia robusta here about 70% of the time, and the latter is planted on literally every corner. I have seen this species take temps up to around 115°F - 120°F, and down to around 15°F multiple times without skipping a beat. This is a FANTASTIC desert palm, and there aren’t many species that are this drought tolerant and visually attractive at the same time. The mexican blue fan palm is a wonderful substitute for the cold tender Bismarkia nobilis in lower zone 9, and 8b xeriscape gardens. This palm should be planted a lot more than it already is in Southern Utah. I was very pleased to see many large box specimens for sale at all the local nurseries in St. George. If you have the option to go with either W. robusta or this species, it’s a no - brainer here in Utah. I couldn’t recommend this wonderful palm enough!

Per Jan Emming owner of the Destination:Forever Ranch and Gardens, a 40 acre desert botanical garden and sustainable living homestead in ...Read Morethe Arizona desert with a nursery:

Brahea armata is an extremely attractive palm endemic to the Baja Peninsula. A true desert native, it tolerates high heat and dryness along with significant cold, making it a good choice for harsh desert locales where many other palms won't perform well. They are fairly slow-growing and large plants of 50 feet/15 meters tall may well be well over 100 years old.

Mexican blue fan palm (Brahea armata) is distributed in the central and northern parts of the Baja California peninsula, from about San Ignacio to within about 15 miles of the US border. The most well-known stands are probably those shown here, near the small town of Catavina. The Transpeninsular Highway 1 crosses several drainages within a few miles where nice groves of these plants can easily be seen from the paved road.

Also known as blue hesper palm, Brahea armata tends to survive best where there is water within a few meters of the surface. In my second photo, this mixed-age stand is growing along the Arroyo La Bocana just south of Catavina near Santa Inez.

In my 3rd photo, the juvenile blue fan palms about 6 feet (2 meters) tall grow in the floodplain of Arroyo la Bocana while the white granite hills are studded with grand examples of boojum tree (Fouquieria columnaris) and cardon (Pachycereus pringlei), among many other desert plants. The reddish hills in the distance are volcanic basalt. This complex geology probably plays a role in why there is surface water in this part of the arroyo, and why much of the rest has a shallow water table.

In my 4th photo, the pair of heavily-fruiting Brahea armata rising to almost 60 feet tall (18 meters) is in the background. The blackened trunks indicate that the dead leaf shag of these palms was set aflame at some point in the past, perhaps decades ago, since the one on the right has managed to regenerate a good portion of it. Fortunately fire does not kill most of these desert type fan palms, and once charred they probably won't be burned again since now the remaining leaf shag is too far above people's reach. And you know that it is people who burned them..

The lengthy flowering spikes that extend far past the leaf crown are likely to be an adaptation towards facilitating wind pollination for these trees, which are frequently isolated from one-another. Long floral spikes that can freely distribute their pollen to the wind will maybe have a better chance of fertilizing a receptive female flower at some distance than spikes hidden within the leaves. Birds and mammals favor the fruits, which don't have much flesh but are still eaten quickly once ripe.

The glaucous blue color of Brahea armata leaves makes it a strikingly handsome plant and very worthy of garden and landscape cultivation. Bluish-leaved plants are common in arid and semiarid regions. Generally caused by a layer of wax, it inhibits water loss via transpiration, and the pale color reflects away some of the potent desert sunlight, thereby keeping leaf surface temperatures cooler and lessening cell damage or death.

The dead leaves are persistent and may hang along the trunk for decades. This is also adaptive for the palms, because it protects the trunk from temperature extremes. However it is an "attractive nuisance" for humans wielding lighters and matches, who often set the leaf skirts ablaze for a brief but dramatic torch-like display. While this does harm the palms, it is fortunate that most manage to survive and grow new leaf crowns from the apical meristem at the top of the trunk.

I love this palm. It's one of only a handful of palms that do very well in this high desert climate. Temps as low as 14 degrees for a c...Read Moreouple of nights never fazed it at all. It is slow growing and takes many years to become a specimen. The color can and does vary from plant to plant being anything from a striking dark gray blue to a lighter greenish gray with only a hint of blue. Do not expect it to become bluer with age. Rather purchase one that already has the color you prefer. I don't baby this palm at all and it thrives pretty much on it's own with periodic deep watering. This palm should be a staple for the desert southwest.

These palms are super hardy. I have dozens in my collection and recently got a 36" box specimen. It has a super thick trunk about 6' tall...Read More and another 6 ' of canopy above. These palm are hardy and drought tolerant their roots stretch way out. I plant all mine directly in the ground never had a problem with transplant death. They love super hot sun