Brahea moorei

Brahea moorei, the dwarf rock palm, is an almost stemless fan palm endemic to the limestone ranges of north-eastern Mexico. Its stem stays buried or creeps along the ground, so the plant forms a low rosette of nearly round fans, dark green above and chalky white beneath, on smooth, spineless stalks.

Slender flower stalks arch out far beyond the leaves. One of the smallest members of its genus, it is prized for its two-tone foliage, compact size and unusually good frost tolerance, and remains rare in cultivation.

At a glance

• Native range: north-eastern Mexico (Sierra Madre Oriental)
• Mature size: about 0.6–1.5 m
• Growth rate: slow; the white wax develops at around ten years
• Light: light shade to full sun
• Water: very drought tolerant once established; dislikes being too wet
• Cold hardiness: about −9 to −10 °C for established plants
• Indoors / outdoors: outdoors in rock gardens and small gardens; well suited to large containers

Care

Plant it in well-drained, preferably alkaline, limestone-based soil and water sparingly. It grows happily in light shade, reflecting its woodland habitat, or in full sun. Salt tolerance is low. Its compact habit makes it ideal for small gardens, as an accent or as ground cover.

Why Palmpedia: Every plant is grown in our greenhouse in Almeirim, Portugal, and leaves us in a 15 L to 35 L pot.