Mexican Blue Palm
Brahea armata
Also known as
Blue Hesper Palm, Blue Fan Palm, Grey Goddess, Short Blue Hesper, Mexican blue fan palm, Blue hesper palm, Blue fan palm
Brahea armata (Palmera azul) II by Rjcastillo (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Full Sun
Light watering
Frost Hardy
H4
RHS hardiness
-10°C
Minimum temperature
Expected size
Height | Spread | |
---|---|---|
20m | Max | 7m |
10m | Min | 4m |
Flowering
-
spring
-
summer
-
autumn
-
winter
More images of Mexican Blue Palm
Mexican Blue Palm Overview
Brahea armata is a large evergreen species in the palm family Arecaceae. It originates from Baja California and Mexico and produces silvery-blue coloured, fan-shaped foliage up to 2m in length and the leaf bases are retained on the trunk. When grown in cultivation, these are commonly removed for aesthetic purposes. Flowers are small and bright yellow, borne in dense clusters on inflorescence up 5m in length, leading onto brown oval fruits. It is hardy to around -8 degrees Celsius, but should be kept dry over cold winters and can suffer damage if the temperatures dip too low, plant in a sheltered position of full or partial sun, in well-draining soil for optimal growth. This species has earnt a Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit.
Common problems with Mexican Blue Palm
How to propagate Mexican Blue Palm
Seed
Sow the seeds in the spring.
Special features of Mexican Blue Palm
Attractive leaves
Attractive flowers
Drought resistant
Other uses of Mexican Blue Palm
Specimen trees