Brahea edulis

What to Eat

Edible parts: Fruit, Berries, Seeds, Cabbage, Palm heart

Edible Parts: Fruit Edible Uses: Although we have seen no reports of edibility, the fruit is almost certainly edible either raw or cooked. It is about 35mm in diameter.

Where to Find It

A temperate and subtropical plant. It suits Mediterranean climates. They do not suit wet humid tropical conditions. They require a dry sunny climate. They can tolerate frosts down to -7°C. It Mexico they grow to 1,000 m altitude. They can grow in most soil conditions. Once established they require little water. They can tolerate wind and salt. Young palms can tolerate full sun at an early age. They need well drained soil. It suits hardiness zones 10-12.

Africa, Australia, Caribbean, Central America, East Africa, Guadeloupe, Mexico, New Zealand, North America, USA, West Indies,

How to Identify

A palm which grows up to 10-15 m tall. The trunk is ringed with leaf scars. The trunk can be 40 cm across. The leaves are fan shaped and stiffly folded. They can be 1-2 m long and 1 m wide. About half way along their length they are divided into 70-80 segments. These split deeply at the tips. There can be teeth on the edge of the leaf stalk. The old fronds fall off. The flowers occur in large clusters. They contain both sexes. These are about 1.5 m long and hang from between the leaves. Large quantities of fruit are produced. The fruit are plump and black and about 2-3.5 cm across. The fruit pulp is edible. The seed is about 18 mm across.

How to Grow

Succeeds in most fertile moist but well-drained soils in a sheltered sunny position. Tolerant of poor dry soils. This species tolerates several degrees of frost if it is growing in a dry sunny climate. Palms usually have deep penetrating root systems and generally establish best when planted out at a young stage. However, older plants are substantially more cold tolerant than juvenile plants. In areas at the limit of their cold tolerance, therefore, it is prudent to grow the plants in containers for some years, giving them winter protection, and only planting them into their permanent positions when sheer size dictates. Palms can also often be transplanted even when very large. Although the thick fleshy roots are easily damaged and/or desiccated, new roots are generally freely produced. It is important to stake the plant very firmly to prevent rock, and also to give it plenty of water until re-established - removing many of the leaves can also help.

Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a warm greenhouse at not less than 24°c. Germination of fresh seed usually takes place in 3 - 4 months at 25°c. Stored seed is very slow to germinate. Pre-soaking the seed for 24 hours in warm water prior to sowing may shorten the germination time. Plants form a long tap-root some time before forming a shoot so it is best to sow 2 - 3 seeds per deep pot. Grow the seedlings on in the greenhouse for at least their first three winters. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.

Medicinal Uses

None known

Other Uses

None known Special Uses

Brahea edulis, the Guadalupe palm or palma de Guadalupe, is a palm endemic to Guadalupe Island, Mexico, although a few stands have been planted elsewhere. It is a fan palm which grows 4.50 to 13 metres (15 to 43 ft) tall. It grows on the island between 400 and 1,000 metres (1,300 and 3,300 ft) above mean sea level (ASL), with this altitudinal zonation producing one of the few fog oases present in North America.

Production

Plants are generally slow growing. The fruit are picked as they ripen. Fruit take about a year to ripen after pollination. They are harvested when fully black and becoming soft.

Notes

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

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