San Jose Hesper palm
Brahea brandegeei

Family: Arecaceae

What it is like

A solitary palm with fan shaped leaves. It grows about 12 m tall. The trunk is slimmer than Brahea armata. It is 30-60 cm across. It has a large dense crown. The trunk has a criss-cross pattern of leaf bases. The leaves are green above and whitish underneath. They are 1 m across. The dead leaves often remain hanging below the crown. The leaf stalks are thorny. The leaves are divided for almost half their length. The flower stalks are the same length as the leaves. The flowers are cream. The fruit are round and 2 cm across. They are brown and glossy when ripe.

There are about 12-16 Brahea species. They all grow in Mexico.

Where it is found

It suits temperate and subtropical regions. It needs well drained soil. It can tolerate direct sun from a young age. It grows in low mountains in Mexico. It is usually below 350 m altitude. It is drought tolerant once established. It suits hardiness zones 9-12.

Countries/locations it is found in

Australia, Central America, Mexico, North America, USA

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Cabbage, fruit, palm heart, young flowers

How it is grown

Plants are grown from fresh seed. The seed germinate in 3-6 months. The seed should be soaked for a few days before planting.

Growth of young plants is slow but increases with age.

Its other names

Local names

Brandegee Hesper palm, Palma de Tarco, Palma de thaco, Palma negra, Palmilla

Synonyms

Erythea brandegeei Purpus; Erythea brandegeei var. spiralis Jones; Erythea elegans Franceschi ex Becc.; Glaucotheca brandegeei (Purpus)Johnston;