Brahea clara

[NCpalmqueen]

Can someone give me the scoop on Brahea clara?  I picked one up while in CA, but I can't find much info about it.  What is its habitat?  Soil requirements?  Minimum temps?  Does it need lime or alkaline soil?  Your experience growing it?  Any photos?

Muchas gracias!

[DoomsDave]

B. clara is a species native to Mexico, where it's found near the sea, though in deserty conditions.  It's supposed to be more vigorous and take humid conditions better than, say, armata, which is just the ticket for you in NC.

Be sure to give it super-perfect drainage.  I'd build a mound of sandy soil, or keep it in a pot, though I think it's cold-hardy enough to survive in NC.

I'm sure some others might be able to tell you more.

dave

[STEVE IN SO CAL]

Here's a couple..

[Alberto]

I planted 20 seedlings of this palm a week ago. According a palm friend, alkaline soil will suit it better, so i mixed a good amount of dolomite to the potting mix. This really a beautifull palm!

[David N.TX.]

Cindy, B. clara is a great palm! (Many thanks to Steve!) There does not seem to be sufficient information on the origin of this palm. At one time, I think Merril said it was a hybrid with B. armata as one parent. Richard Travis says it's an elegans (perhaps a form of it). As you know Richard and Zac where in habitat last year so maybe you cold pick their brains again.

David

[mjff]

Cindy,

Here is a write up I found on B. Clara (http://www.palmsnc.org/pages/palm_detail.php?id=62) "Although Brahea clara has at times been accorded species status, it is likely a natural hybrid of Brahea armata with B. brandegeei. It is known from around the San Carlos Bay in Sonora. The influence of B. brandegeei imparts its softer leaves with a distinctly droopy character, much like Livistona chinensis. Although this is the one identifiable trait that distinguishes it from other armatas, the color can range from a somewhat unpleasant olive green to an exquisite icicle blue. Such specimens are utterly breathtaking in their beauty. As Brahea brandegeei is the fastest growing Brahea, claras have been observed to be much faster growing than armatas. They are also likely to be more tolerant of warm and humid conditions but less hardy to extreme cold. They should also be a better choice for cooler sections of the California coast than Brahea armata. Although still quite rare, this beautiful palm should be much more widely grown in coastal California."  It is supposedly cold hardy to 20.

[NCpalmqueen]

Many thanks, Dave, for the info.  Steve--are those your claras?  They are awesome!!!   Are they in pure sand?   Mine is a little lighter blue.

Alberto--Did you put your seedlings in pots or in the ground?  I wish I had access to dolomite....what's a good substitute?

David--You got one, eh?   In the ground?    

Martin--Thanks for the data.   This palm will be protected each and every winter until I can't protect it anymore.  You all in California and elsewhere have no clue what winter protection is all about, though.  You just don't know how much fun I have every November.

[STEVE IN SO CAL]

Cindy...mine are growing in crushed granite, they are heading into their third summer in the ground from 24" boxes(small plants...really big 15's) They are really fast.

I have 12 of them in the arctic field of death, and they survived 15f with 12 hrs below 25f. They did better than the Armatas in the same area.

[tropicalb]

I gotta say that those are two of the nicest claras you will ever feast your eyes on sitting there at Steve's place......now if i can just get them to grow legs, head down the 15 south and plant themselves in my front yard....

maybe a jedi mind trick would work better:

*waves hand in front of Steve

"You want to box those clara's and take them to Burt's place......"

[DoomsDave]

(STEVE IN SO CAL @ May 26 2007,23:05)

QUOTE

Cindy...mine are growing in crushed granite, they are heading into their third summer in the ground from 24" boxes(small plants...really big 15's) They are really fast.

I have 12 of them in the arctic field of death, and they survived 15f with 12 hrs below 25f. They did better than the Armatas in the same area.

Oh, gawd!

That's SAYING something . . .

dave

[Kris]

Dear Steve  

thanks for those still on the palm in discusion.i have not seen

any of those till now ! and it seems to be even beautiful than

the breha Armedas...i meant their leaf tips...

And Cindy_thanks for asking information on these palms,due to this people like me from around the globe had an oppurtunity to see some exocitic palms here in this forum.

Love,

Kris  

[NCpalmqueen]

Steve.....no soil at all?  Just crushed granite?  Wow!  Is that how you would grow armata as well?

[STEVE IN SO CAL]

Cindy...I'd like you to believe that I'm a horticultural genius, but I'm just lazy. I took out some large pine trees in that spot, and it was difficult to dig. I dug as much as I felt like, and then got the tractor and headed to the pile of crushed granite... :cool:

You could use that 'crush n run' from your part of the country.

[NCpalmqueen]

Steve

Don't worry...I will still consider you a horticultural genius.

I have crushed granite, so I think I'm going to mix it in with the sand & soil that I have to make a dry recipe. Thanks!

Do you think Trithrinax campestris will grow in the same type of soil?

[Alberto]

(NCpalmqueen @ May 26 2007,21:53)

QUOTE

Alberto--Did you put your seedlings in pots or in the ground?  I wish I had access to dolomite....what's a good substitute?

Yes ,mine seedlings are in pots were they will stay until they grow somewhat! Dolomite is rich in calcium and magnesium. Calcitic lime has more calcium (of course).

[STEVE IN SO CAL]

(NCpalmqueen @ May 27 2007,10:42)

QUOTE

Steve

Don't worry...I will still consider you a horticultural genius.

I have crushed granite, so I think I'm going to mix it in with the sand & soil that I have to make a dry recipe. Thanks!

Do you think Trithrinax campestris will grow in the same type of soil?

I haven't met a beer I didn't drink, or a palm that didn't like well drained soil....

[ghar41]

This palm was given to me in a five gallon about 10 years ago as Brahea armata.  It doesn't look like any armata's ive seen at this size.  Maybe it's a clara?

There are many B. edulis in town...could it be edulis x armata?   ???

At any rate, Brahea's always make great cocktail conversation!  

[freekypalmguy]

Hmmm... That def. has some droop too it, but I am just a paduwan learner and cannot say for sure, Kwai Gon Steve, what say you?

Anyways, it's a beautifull palm for sure, clara or armata.

[merrill]

Hi, Cindy:

When I lived in Raleigh, North Carolina, dolomitic limestone was easier to find than plain limestone.  A few bucks for 50#.

Hi, Glenn:

The Brahea armata X B. edulis at Huntington B. G. (once?) were considerably more green than your Brahea, of which I'm quite envious, by the way!

merrill

[Alberto]

(ghar41 @ May 27 2007,21:30)

QUOTE

It´s a beauty!!I am also envious!

[JakeK]

Steve, those are two awesome clara's. It seems to me that Brahea is an underutilized and under-appreciated genera, but then again I live out East and Brahea's typically don't do well in the East where the winters are mild enough for them.

[STEVE IN SO CAL]

All these palms kind of lump together...who knows(or cares) what's what. Typically, Claras droop and have no tomentum on the petioles. If Glenns palm has tomentum on the petioles, then it may not be Clara...but...who cares....it's a beautiful palm !

[PalmGuyWC]

I'm growing 4 Brahea species and 1 Brahea hybrid in a hot/cold inland valley in N. Calif.  All of mine are over 30 years old and they are growing in adobe clay and they seem to thrive in my location.  The ones I have are B. armata, edulis, brandegeii, (edulis X brandegeii) and one that we think is B. elegans. Most of mine are growing at ground level, and no particular attention to drainage or soil type.  Mine were cold tested in the 80/90 freeze down to 14F.  By far the most cold hardy was B. armata which showed little or no damage from the cold.  The most tender was B. brandegeii which was completely defoliated, but recovered with no trunk damage.  The others had varying damage but all recovered with no permanent damage.

In the last couple of years I've planted 2 B. nitida, both only about a meter high now and they just came through this winter with a low of 23F with no damage. In fact, they both grew a new frond during the winter when most plams stop growing in my location.

I wish I had more species available when my palm garden was formed, but the ones I've mentioned were the only ones available at the time, and now I've run out of room for more large palms. Generally, Braheas seem to like full sun, however my two B. edulis get about 40% shade and they are magnificant. B. edulis is the only species I see growing around Walnut Creek in any number, and most are in full sun and they grow "tight."  Mine which are partially shade grown look like a different palm and the crowns are twice as large as the sun grown ones.

Braheas are definately a neglected species in California where most species seem to thrive throughout the state, especially away from the coast, but grow best in those hot/cold inland valleys where there are temp. extreams. Braheas are tough palms.

Dick

[NCpalmqueen]

Glenn--beautiful palm!!

Dick--Thanks for some historical data.  Please post some photos...would love to see your Braheas!

I still haven't decided the final resting spot for my clara...it should like the heat here, though.  90's everyday here.

[Orlando]

I cannot resist posting here the pic of the amazing B. clara, parent of Alberto's seedlings, which is located near Alain Jamet's previous place (he is an extraordinary French enthusiast now supposedly moved to Thailand, by the way, has anyone heard from him lately?) in Toulon, South coast of France, as I am sure he will not mind for being his pic (merci bien Alain!)

Pics from the his Toulon garden :

http://gardenbreizh.org/photos/jubaea8/

[merrill]

Thank You, Orlando, for the beautiful Brahea clara; the most beatiful I've seen by a great margin.   merrill

[STEVE IN SO CAL]

Stunning (if you're a Clara fan)...

[NCpalmqueen]

Thank you, as well, Orlando for posting that wonderful photo.  Boy do I have a long wait for my clara to look like that in addition to relying on the palm Gods being on my side for the thing to survive.