Palms For California

Pronunciation: bra-HEE-uh DULL-siss

Common Name: Rock Palm

Brahea dulcis is a fairly hardy fan palm from Central America that really should be grown more often than it is. It has the reputation of having one of the most perfectly formed palmate leaves. It is a bit of an unusual Brahea in that is has large trunks, but can be a clustering palm, too.

Appearance and Biology Habit: solitary/clustering with a crown of 15-20 fan leaves Height: 25' Trunk: single or multiple; 8" thick; either clean with grayish-brown color and closely spaced, elevated rings; or with retained, un-split leaf bases most if not all its height Crownshaft: none Spread: 5'-8'+ Leaf Description: palmate; nearly circular; divided half the length of the leaf; leaflets stiff with only a gentle droop if any; grey-green to medium green; 4'-5' long Petiole/Leaf bases: 2.5'-3.5' long; armed with small teeth; medium to light green; leaf bases (un-split) tend to be persistent, but fall off in older palms Reproduction: monoecious Inflorescence: 5'-6' long; from within the crown; very highly branched; starting upright but arches downward to pendent, hanging below crown sometimes Fruit: 1/2"; spherical; brown when ripe; supposedly edible and tasty

Horticultural Characteristics Minimum Temp: 25F Drought Tolerance: high Dry Heat Tolerance: high Wind Tolerance: good Salt Tolerance: unknown Growth Rate: slow Soil Preference: adaptable Light Requirement: partial to full sun Human Hazards: minimal danger from petiolar teeth Disease or Horticultural Problems: none Transplants?: poorly tolerant Indoor?: unknown Availability: rare