Palm
Guadalupe Palm
Brahea edulis · Arecaceae
Also called: Guadalupe Fan Palm
Guadalupe Palm (Brahea edulis) is a low-water palm well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It thrives in full sun.
Guadalupe Palm at a glance
- Water use
- Low (established)
- Sun
- Full sun; tolerates light/part shade. Handles reflected desert heat well.
- Mature size
- Small to medium palm, typically 25-30 ft tall and 10-15 ft wide with a stout trunk and low rounded canopy
- Growth rate
- Slow (about 12 in per year; slower when young)
- Bloom
- Creamy-white flowers on arching stalks, followed by edible black fruit, Spring to summer; fruit ripens late summer to fall
- Cold hardiness
- Cold-hardy to about 18-20 F (USDA 8b+); older specimens noticeably more frost-tolerant than juveniles. Protect young palms during hard Tucson freezes. Well-suited to 9a-9b.
- Soil
- Adaptable; needs good drainage. Handles alkaline, rocky low-desert soils as well as coastal/sandy soils.
- Native range
- Guadalupe Island, Baja California, Mexico (endemic)
- Best used as
- Specimen/accent palm for smaller spaces than Bismarckia, Xeriscape and desert/Mediterranean gardens, Edible black fruit (date-like, sweet)
- Wildlife
- Flowers attract pollinators; sweet fruit is favored by birds and other wildlife.
- Toxicity
- Non-toxic; fruit is edible to people and eaten by wildlife.
How to grow Guadalupe Palm in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Drought-tolerant once established but looks best with regular deep watering in summer. In Tucson's heat, soak deeply every 7-14 days during the hottest months; reduce to roughly monthly in winter. Needs very little water most of the year once mature.
Fertilizer & nutrients
Apply slow-release palm fertilizer with magnesium and micronutrients 2-3 times in the growing season. Correct potassium/manganese deficiencies common in alkaline desert soils to keep fronds green.
Pruning & care
Low maintenance and self-cleaning to a degree. Remove dead brown fronds and spent fruit clusters; avoid cutting healthy green fronds.
Notes
Green-fronded (not blue) Brahea, more compact and more tolerant of heat and drought than many palms - a good choice where a smaller, durable fan palm is wanted. Wind, salt, drought, and heat resistant. Endangered in the wild but common in cultivation.
Sources: Arizona State University (camartin) plant database - Brahea edulis; Plants For A Future (PFAF) - Brahea edulis; Palmpedia - Brahea edulis; Gardenia.net - Brahea edulis