Brahea dulcis

Brahea dulcis, the sombrero or apak palm, is a fan palm of the dry mountains of Mexico and northern Central America and the most widespread palm in Mexico. It is also one of the most variable: plants may form low clumps or grow as single-trunked small trees, and their stiff, finely pleated fans range from plain green to silvery blue-grey.

Silvery plants from north-eastern Mexico were long sold as Brahea berlandieri, a name now included here. For thousands of years its leaves have been woven into hats, mats and baskets.

At a glance

• Native range: Mexico to Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and Nicaragua
• Mature size: usually 2–7.5 m
• Growth rate: slow
• Light: full sun
• Water: sparing once established; highly drought tolerant
• Cold hardiness: about −3 °C
• Indoors / outdoors: outdoors in dry warm-temperate and subtropical gardens

Care

A palm for a sunny, sharply drained position. Water sparingly once it is settled, and avoid spots where the air stays persistently humid, which it dislikes. When sheltered from wind and drought stress it forms neat, evenly pleated fans.

Why Palmpedia: Raised in our Almeirim greenhouse in Portugal and supplied in 15 L to 35 L pots.