Brahea pimo

Geoff Stein - Author & Editor

Pronunciation: bra-HEE-uh PEE-moe


Common Name: Wooly Brahea (un-official)

Brahea pimo is a wonderful palm for California, but unfortunately a very rare one, still. It is one of the more ornamental of the Braheas, though a very slow growing plant. At this time few if any flowering plants in California and certainly none even approaching maximum height. Uniquely wooly, tomentose petioles and leaf undersides with colorful petioles and perfect, circular leaves.

Appearance and Biology
  • Habit: solitary with a crown of 8-12 fan leaves
  • Height: 12' estimate
  • Trunk: single; 8" diameter; covered with retained leaf bases
  • Crownshaft: none
  • Spread: 6'-8'
  • Leaf Description: palmate; circular; fairly stiff with only some leaflets drooping; pale green to sea green; 4'-5' long; underside fuzzy with thin layer of white tomentum; leaves seem overly large for relatively thin petiole; leaves divided only 1/4 their length or less
  • Petiole/Leaf bases: 2' long; covered on both surfaces with fairly dense layer of pinkish-white scurf; armed with small, irregular but sharp. saw-like teeth along edges; black line along edges of petioles; un-split leaf bases
  • Reproduction: monoecious
  • Inflorescence: 5' long and tomentose
  • Fruit: 1/2"; ovoid and yellow when ripe
Horticultural Characteristics
  • Minimum Temp: 25F estimate
  • Drought Tolerance: good
  • Dry Heat Tolerance: good
  • Wind Tolerance: fair
  • Salt Tolerance: low
  • Growth Rate: very slow
  • Soil Preference: calcareous (alkaline), but seems somewhat adaptable
  • Light Requirement: filtered sun to full sun
  • Human Hazards: sharp, though small, petiolar teeth
  • Disease or Horticultural Problems: unknown
  • Transplants?: probably poor
  • Indoor?: unknown
  • Availability: extremely rare with only a few rare plants showing up in collections


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