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Brahea armata (Mexican Blue Palm)

Mexican Blue Palm, Big Blue Hesper Palm, Blue Fan Palm, Blue Hesper Palm, Gray Goddess, Mexican Blue Fan Palm, Short Blue Hesper, Brahea elegans, Brahea roezlii, Erythea armata, Erythea clara, Erythea elegans

AGM Award
Brahea armata, Mexican Blue Palm, Big Blue Hesper Palm, Blue Fan Palm, Blue Hesper Palm, Drought tolerant tree, Tropical Plant, Palm Tree, Blue Palm Tree, Blue Palms
Brahea armata, Mexican Blue Palm, Big Blue Hesper Palm, Blue Fan Palm, Blue Hesper Palm, Drought tolerant tree, Tropical Plant, Palm Tree, Blue Palm Tree, Blue Palms
Brahea armata, Mexican Blue Palm, Big Blue Hesper Palm, Blue Fan Palm, Blue Hesper Palm, Drought tolerant tree, Tropical Plant, Palm Tree, Blue Palm Tree, Blue Palms

Grown for its striking foliage color, Brahea armata (Mexican Blue Palm) is an erect palm adorned with a thick solitary trunk covered by fibrous leaf bases and topped by a crown of gorgeous, blue-green, fan-shaped fronds, 5 ft. long (150 cm). The fronds are divided into as many as 20 to 40 lobes and attached to 3 ft. long (90 cm) petioles armed with teeth. In the summer, showy garlands, 15 ft. long (450 cm), of creamy-yellow flowers are borne on impressive stalks that rise up and arch down from the crown. They give way to ravishing braids of rounded, golden yellow fruits, 1 in. long (2 cm), that fade to black. Brahea armata is a relatively slow grower and starts blooming at about 20 years of age. Extremely resistant to sun and drought but also to strong winds, it is quite cold-hardy and can survive short periods at 18ºF (-8ºC). A strong and dramatic statement in the landscape.

  • Recipient of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society.
  • Grows with an upright habit up to 20-40 ft. tall (6-12 m) and 12-25 ft. wide (3-8 m).
  • Easily grown in well-drained soils in full sun. Tolerates poor, dry soil. Needs little irrigation once established but looks better with occasional summer watering. Drought tolerant.
  • No pruning is required.
  • No serious disease or pest issues. Keep an eye out for glasshouse red spider mites and scale insects.
  • Propagated by seeds that germinate between 1 and 4 months at high temperatures (73-80°F or 23-27°C).
  • Native to rocky canyons of Baja California and Sonora, Mexico.

Requirements

Hardiness 9 - 11
Climate Zones 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, H1
Plant Type Palms - Cycads
Plant Family Arecaceae
Genus Cycas
Exposure Full Sun
Season of Interest Spring (Early, Mid, Late)
Summer (Early, Mid, Late)
Fall
Winter
Height 20' - 40'
(6.1m - 12.2m)
Spread 12' - 25'
(3.7m - 7.6m)
Maintenance Low
Water Needs Low
Soil Type Chalk, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Well-Drained
Characteristics Plant of Merit, Showy, Evergreen
Tolerance Drought
Garden Uses Beds And Borders, Patio And Containers
Garden Styles Mediterranean Garden
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Alternative Plants to Consider

Zamia pumila (Coontie)
Roystonea regia (Florida Royal Palm)
Coccothrinax argentata (Florida Silver Palm)
Acoelorrhaphe wrightii (Paurotis Palm)
Serenoa repens (Saw Palmetto)
Dioon spinulosum (Giant Dioon)

Recommended Companion Plants

Festuca glauca ‘Elijah Blue’ (Blue Fescue)
Agave victoriae-reginae (Queen Victoria Century Plant)

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While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.
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Requirements

Hardiness 9 - 11
Climate Zones 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, H1
Plant Type Palms - Cycads
Plant Family Arecaceae
Genus Cycas
Exposure Full Sun
Season of Interest Spring (Early, Mid, Late)
Summer (Early, Mid, Late)
Fall
Winter
Height 20' - 40'
(6.1m - 12.2m)
Spread 12' - 25'
(3.7m - 7.6m)
Maintenance Low
Water Needs Low
Soil Type Chalk, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Well-Drained
Characteristics Plant of Merit, Showy, Evergreen
Tolerance Drought
Garden Uses Beds And Borders, Patio And Containers
Garden Styles Mediterranean Garden
How Many Plants
Do I Need?
Not sure which Cycas to pick?
Compare Now

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