How To Grow Guadalupe Palm Tree (Brahea edulis)

Guadalupe Palm Tree (Brahea edulis)
Guadalupe Palm (Brahea edulis). Photo by Flickr.

The scientific name for the Guadalupe Palm is – Brahea edulis. Guadalupe Palm is native to Guadalupe Island off of the Western coast of Mexico. This palm is cold hardy down to 20F and can be grown in states like Georgia, Louisiana, Nevada, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, and Washington.

Quick Facts:

Scientific name:Brahea edulis
Common names:Guadalupe Palm
Origin:Native to Guadalupe Island off west coast of Mexico
Growth Rate:Slow. Up to 30 ft tall and 10 ft wide.
Cold Tolerance:USDA Zones 10a (30 – 35 F) to 11 (above 40 F).
Light Req:Full sun.
Water Req:Low
Soil Req:Widely adaptable
Fruit:Yes. Black. Sweet and edible.
Propagation:By seed, germinating in 2 – 4 months.

Guadalupe Palm Identifying Characteristics

Guadalupe Palm is a small fan palm growing to 10 m (30 feet) high with a highly fissured trunk 40 cm (1-1/2 feet) in diameter. It does not have a skirt of persistent dead leaves, or leaf petioles.

The large fan-shaped leaves are a shiny green and usually have an indentation along the midrib.

Guadalupe Palm Flowers and Fruits

Produces small yellow flowers that are followed by black colored fruit with a taste resembling a date (25 to 35 mm across).

How to Care For Guadalupe Palm

It is a slow growing palm. Guadalupe Palm is hardy and can tolerate cold up to 20F. It requires little water and likes full sun and well drained soil.

Guadalupe Palm Propagation

Propagated by seeds. It is recommended to sown as soon as it is ripe in a warm greenhouse at not less than 24°c. It usually takes 3 – 6 months at 25°c for germination. If you store seeds it will be very slow to germinate. Make sure to soak the seed for 24 hours in warm water prior to sowing. This 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.

It is best to plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.

Guadalupe Palm Pictures

Guadalupe Palm (Brahea edulis). Photo by Flickr.
Guadalupe Palm (Brahea edulis). Photo by Wiki Commons.