Brahea Edulis

Guadalupe Palm

Brahea Edulis; is an endemic to the volcanic desert island of Guadalupe where it grows in canyons and in slopes. The species is in danger of extinction because of its small natural range and the grazing of sheep and cattle that destroy the few seedlings in this habitat. The common name is Guadalupe palm the epithet is Latin for edible.

Their deep brown to dark grey trunks can grow up to 11 meters high with a diameter of 30cm. With closely set almost indistinct rings and they are free of leaf bases.

The leaf crown is 4 meters wide and 9 meters tall. The leaves are hemispherical from 1 to 2 meter wide with slightly pendulous leaflets each of which extends halfway into the depth of the blade their colour is light to dark green on either sides. Petioles are 1.5 meter long. The inflorescences are 1.2 meter long panicles and they do not exceed the radius of the leaf crown. The black mature 3cm wide fruit are supposedly edible.

Brahea Edulis needs full light from youth to old age. It thrives on poor dry or rocky soils it will stands temperatures down to -8c this one of the least adaptable indoor palm.