Brahea armata
Blue fan palm · also Blue hesper palm, Mexican blue palm, Gray-goddess
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The Mexican blue palm is a striking, short-statured fan palm native to Baja California, Mexico, known for its grey-blue fronds and a natural "skirt" of persistent dead leaves. It thrives in rocky, low-elevation, full sun, and low-water desert or dry shrubland conditions. Highly tolerant of drought and wind, this species is hardy to 14°F but can be susceptible to crown rot in humid coastal areas.
Where it grows
Trees in each city's inventory, with the share of that city's named trees this species accounts for.
- 660.01%35 yr17 in
- 30.00%—7.5 in
- 30.01%—10 in
- 20.00%—8.0 in
Traits
- Form
- Palm
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Mature height
- 20–50 ft
- Canopy spread
- 12–25 ft
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Drought tolerance
- High
- Wildlife value
- Moderate
- Blooms
- Mar, Apr, May
Trunk diameters across every city: median 15 in, mean 14 in, 90th percentile 18 in. Measured at breast height, as published by each inventory.
Native range
Terrestrial ecoregions where this species is native. Trees in the dataset mostly stand well outside it.
Deserts & Xeric Shrublands
- Baja California desert
Other Brahea in the catalogue
3 of the top 2,000 species are in this genus.
