A dark blue brahea

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

Here is a picture of an amazing unidentified dark blue brahea from yesterday's Norcal Palm Society Meeting. This is one of the most amazing brahea I have ever seen. The leaves are thick and lethery, the fronds are rounded, but don't grow in a plane. This has got to be one of the most amazing, fabulous brahea I've ever seen. it looks like a mature version of my brahea dulcis blue, but I am not sure it's dulcis blue because the leaves are definitely not flat.

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

Here is a closeup of the leaves.

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

BTW, this does not look like dulcis, which has much finer, tender fronds, and the blue form simply has more silver on the leaves. I believe this is the same as one of my brahea that is unfortunately also un-identified.

This is the most spectacular and unique brahea I've ever seen. ID anyone?

[Phoenikakias]

Probably Brahea aculeata?

[gyuseppe]

is not brahea dulcis

[Alberto]

Very beautifull!! Looks like an aquatic Brahea!

I always thought Braheas are intolerant to wet soils.....

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

Very beautifull!! Looks like an aquatic Brahea!

I always thought Braheas are intolerant to wet soils.....

Pond has concrete liner, soil is not wet.

[Alberto]

Very beautifull!! Looks like an aquatic Brahea!

I always thought Braheas are intolerant to wet soils.....

Pond has concrete liner, soil is not wet.

Very beautifull!! Looks like an aquatic Brahea!

I always thought Braheas are intolerant to wet soils.....

Pond has concrete liner, soil is not wet.

Thanks!

[NorCalWill]

Pond has a concrete liner, but I can't image there not being a crack or two in it. Soil is always damp under pond liners even if there aren't leaks, and this palm is planted no more than 3 feet from the pond's edge.

There was a Bismarkia also planted in this collection, and it was also about 3 or 4 feet from the pond's edge. My first thought of course was pond leakage and wet roots in the winter. However, the Bismarkia looked great.

Edited August 6, 2013 by Will

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

OK, thanks to Kostas, the ID of the palm is brahea sp. nuri, a very blue form of the aculeate grown from seed gathered by Dale Motiska near the town of Nuri in Sonora. Some think it's possibly a cross between aculeata and armata. (Dale Motiska is a palm collector in Solano County, see http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/29013-dale-and-caroline-motiska-garden/).

Back to the pond liner, well, concrete pond liners do leach water, albeit must be very slowly. There is in fact a bismarckia on the lake, it looks very, very healthy. Here is a picture of it:

[gyuseppe]

I have a Brahea sp. nuri , the leaves are blue color

I do not have Brahea aculeata,leaf of Brahea aculeata are only green?

Edited August 6, 2013 by gyuseppe

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

I have a Brahea sp. nuri , the leaves are blue color

I do not have Brahea aculeata,leaf of Brahea aculeata are only green?

Brahea sp nuri is thought to be in the aculeata group. There are aeveral different aculeata, elegans is another version of aculeata.

[Mandrew968]

This palm is also reputed to handle more moisture and humidity than most Braheas are known for. I can't wait to try it!