Brahea armata - Hesper Palm

Distinctive, unique and attractive, the blue Mexican or Hesper palm has a crown of rigid leaves which radiate from the trunk top. Blue palms are considered by many to have the bluest leaves of any palm in the world. Blue palm may grow 50' tall and 16' in width. The blue palm trunk is slightly swollen at the base and grows up to 1.5' in diameter. Blue palm may have up to 30 palmate, or fan shaped, circular leaves. If old leaves are not removed, they form a continuous brown skirt, reaching from the top of the trunk all the way to the ground.

The flower cluster consists of many small whitish bisexual blossoms, and is considered by many to be among the most beautiful of palm flowers. The shiny fruit of the blue palm is round and brownish black and contains a single seed. Location Blue palm grows naturally in desert canyons and cliffs on rocky limestone soils in northwestern Mexico (Baja California and Sonora) at low to medium altitudes.