Brahea brandegeei aka San Jose Hesper Palm

Brahea brandegeei is an evergreen palm from northwestern Mexico. Its names include San Jose hesper palm and Palma de Taco. It belongs to the palm family, Arecaceae. Its native range covers southern Baja California and Sonora. It grows in canyons, beside streams, and on sheltered slopes. Kew places it in desert or dry shrubland. An older scientific name is Erythea brandegeei.

This palm grows upright on a single trunk. The base is broad, and the trunk narrows toward the crown. Garden plants reach about 26–39 feet (8–12 metres) tall. Their spread reaches about 13–26 feet (4–8 metres). PACSOA gives a taller limit of about 43 feet (13 metres). The RHS gives 20–50 years as the time to maturity. Large, pleated leaves form fans across the crown. Each leaf can span 3.3 feet (1 metre) or more. The blades are costapalmate, with green tops and blue-grey undersides. In summer, cream flowers grow on branched panicles.

Choose a sheltered site with full sun and good drainage. The RHS lists clay, loam, and sand as suitable soils. It also accepts acid, neutral, and alkaline soil conditions. Plants can cope with poor soil and dry ground. PACSOA reports drought tolerance but says high humidity does not suit it. The sources differ on frost tolerance. PACSOA calls it frost tolerant; the RHS calls it frost tender. The RHS assigns H1C and advises keeping it free from frost. In colder areas, move container plants under cover for winter.

Under glass, use peat-free potting compost with a loam base. Give the palm full light and moderate water during growth. Apply a balanced liquid feed each month while growth continues. Reduce watering in winter, rather than keeping the compost wet. Repot or renew the top layer of compost in spring. To raise new plants, sow seed in spring. Keep seeds at 23–27°C during this stage.

The RHS suggests this palm for coastal and courtyard gardens. It also suits conservatories and greenhouses where space allows. Its tall trunk and broad leaf crown define its form. Routine pruning is not needed. Remove dead lower fronds to show the trunk more clearly. Watch for scale insects and glasshouse red spider mites. The RHS reports few disease problems.