Brahea Armata

[xtazia]

Hi friends. I need some advice with planting this 15 gal Brahea Armata. I did a bit of reading & read these palms are VERY root sensitive when planting. 

About 3 months ago I successfully planted a 15 gal Bismarckia & I broke off a bit of roots but the palm didn't suffer any damage. The palm is thriving now & was unaffected when it was planted.

What would the best method be when planting this Brahea Armata in ground ? It's not visible in the photo, but one of the drainage holes has a root poking out so I am so scared to plant this considering the size.

[sonoranfans]

I'd cut the pot off with a box cutter, carefully.  Root wise its different when planting vs transplanting(when you dig it up to replant at another site).  They are very sensitive to transplanting, not so much to planting.  I would cut the pot enough to allow it to slide off.  Generally you should be gentle with all palms but the transplanting part where you cut lots of roots is a problem for these.  Use the box cutter to slit enough of the container to allow you to tap if off.  You can lift this palm by the trunk but keep the trunk vertical so you dont allow gravity to damage roots at an angle tot he vertical.  make sure its high drainage soil you plant into but put a layer of mulch chips on top and water every day while it warm out for a month.   After that back off the watering to every two days and when high temps drop below 70 water every 3-4 days or so.  I grew 6 of these in the arizona desert, they did very well.  Looks more like brahea clara to me,  also a beautiful palm.

[JohnAndSancho]

Edit. Disregard everything I said and listen to @sonoranfans

 

Beautiful palm. I think you should just drop it off in my yard and I'll give you some seeds in exchange for it. 

 

Seriously though, just take your time and be as careful as you can. Maybe lay it on its side on a tarp or moving blanket next to the hole and carefully thread that root back in with a chopstick or your finger. 

[SeanK]

My thoughts follow @sonoranfans', cut the pot.

[Fusca]

@xtazia, yours looks just like the one I bought back in March from Palm Plantation in Riverside.  They are root sensitive and I had an unfortunate situation when I planted mine in spite of being careful.  I believe it had been recently potted up and when I was removing it from the pot one of the newest roots broke.  It's doing fine now and opening new spears but it just sat there for 4 months or so before 4 of the oldest fronds started dying off.  Cutting the pot as Tom suggested is probably the best thing to avoid a possible setback.  Or you could just plant the entire pot in the ground.

[happypalms]

The old saying a $100 dollar planting hole for a $10 dollar palm, or a $10 planting hole for a $100 palm. It’s up to you and in most cases there is not much of a difference. If you live in a harsh environment then amended soil is best. If you live in Hawaii just stand back and throw the palm over your shoulder and it will grow every time you look at! 

[Harry’s Palms]

I have planted a few of these and never had a problem from pot to ground . Digging and moving never worked out . I agree with the idea of cutting down the sides of the container , allowing for the palm to be removed with very little disturbance . They are fairly slow growing here , unlike the Brahea Edulis ( much faster ) . A bright sunny location would be best. As these get large , they are quite a statement , allow room for growth. Harry

‘This is about 25 years from a 10” pot . Full sun on a south facing slope . About 20 miles from the coast. It started picking up a bit of speed a few years ago. It was pretty small when I planted it. Never gave me any trouble. Harry

[JohnAndSancho]

32 minutes ago, Harry’s Palms said:

I have planted a few of these and never had a problem from pot to ground . Digging and moving never worked out . I agree with the idea of cutting down the sides of the container , allowing for the palm to be removed with very little disturbance . They are fairly slow growing here , unlike the Brahea Edulis ( much faster ) . A bright sunny location would be best. As these get large , they are quite a statement , allow room for growth. Harry

‘This is about 25 years from a 10” pot . Full sun on a south facing slope . About 20 miles from the coast. It started picking up a bit of speed a few years ago. It was pretty small when I planted it. Never gave me any trouble. Harry

So if that's 25 years from a 10" pot, uhhh lol... I have uhhh seeds germinating... I guess I'm growing plants for whoever ends up with this land at auction after I'm composted. 

[xtazia]

4 hours ago, Fusca said:

@xtazia, yours looks just like the one I bought back in March from Palm Plantation in Riverside.  They are root sensitive and I had an unfortunate situation when I planted mine in spite of being careful.  I believe it had been recently potted up and when I was removing it from the pot one of the newest roots broke.  It's doing fine now and opening new spears but it just sat there for 4 months or so before 4 of the oldest fronds started dying off.  Cutting the pot as Tom suggested is probably the best thing to avoid a possible setback.  Or you could just plant the entire pot in the ground.

@Fusca That is correct it is from Palm Plantation ! When you planted yours did you cut the pot off ? 

[xtazia]

2 hours ago, Harry’s Palms said:

I have planted a few of these and never had a problem from pot to ground . Digging and moving never worked out . I agree with the idea of cutting down the sides of the container , allowing for the palm to be removed with very little disturbance . They are fairly slow growing here , unlike the Brahea Edulis ( much faster ) . A bright sunny location would be best. As these get large , they are quite a statement , allow room for growth. Harry

‘This is about 25 years from a 10” pot . Full sun on a south facing slope . About 20 miles from the coast. It started picking up a bit of speed a few years ago. It was pretty small when I planted it. Never gave me any trouble. Harry

Love it !  @Harry’s Palms What's funny to me.. i called another nursery in OC - can't remember which. Anyways the man (owner) I spoke to on the phone refused to sell me one. I'm not sure if he thought I was just an oridinary joe with no palm gardening experience. He basically said he is giving up on brahea armata's & they are too root sensitive. I kept asking for him to send photos, but I never got any. He was trying to sell me a brahea brandeegi. I chose armata because I am a sucker for silver fronds. 

[xtazia]

6 hours ago, sonoranfans said:

I'd cut the pot off with a box cutter, carefully.  Root wise its different when planting vs transplanting(when you dig it up to replant at another site).  They are very sensitive to transplanting, not so much to planting.  I would cut the pot enough to allow it to slide off.  Generally you should be gentle with all palms but the transplanting part where you cut lots of roots is a problem for these.  Use the box cutter to slit enough of the container to allow you to tap if off.  You can lift this palm by the trunk but keep the trunk vertical so you dont allow gravity to damage roots at an angle tot he vertical.  make sure its high drainage soil you plant into but put a layer of mulch chips on top and water every day while it warm out for a month.   After that back off the watering to every two days and when high temps drop below 70 water every 3-4 days or so.  I grew 6 of these in the arizona desert, they did very well.  Looks more like brahea clara to me,  also a beautiful palm.

@sonoranfans You're a wealth of knowledge & your input is always appreciated !!! Yes this palm should be an easy grower out here, the spot it's gonna live at is full sun all day, & soil is sandy/well draining. I'm just nervous about the root disturbance. Would you say the brahea armata is more root sensitive than bismarckia ?

[gyuseppe]

I had 2 of them, they were ready to flower, but the red palm weevil destroyed them.

[sonoranfans]

7 hours ago, xtazia said:

@sonoranfans You're a wealth of knowledge & your input is always appreciated !!! Yes this palm should be an easy grower out here, the spot it's gonna live at is full sun all day, & soil is sandy/well draining. I'm just nervous about the root disturbance. Would you say the brahea armata is more root sensitive than bismarckia ?

you should not cut roots on either.  I have planted (6) bismarckia, never had an issue but transplanting them is a real problem, they will probably die.  Brahea armatas are similar, and I also have planted 6 of them.  Transpling either species should be left to profgessionals who have root pruning techniques that take 6 to dig.  I will stress again, planting a potted palm is NOT a transplant as its generally not necessary to cut any roots.  Transplanting is another matter, lots of roots must be cut and both brahea armata and bismarckia grow deep roots.  I read once that the cut roots bleed sap profusely on the species while many other palms dont have a serious issue.  The real pros root prune by gradually cutting roots and letting more new roots grow in a tighter rootball.  If you look at a clock they cut no more than 3hrs of the clock at a time and wait a month or two before the next root prune.  I would cut that pot off the palm by cutting around the root and taking the bottom.  If it not totally rootbound you could plant it as a bottomless potted plant with vertical slits in the sides and plant it as it, rem,oving the sides next spring./summer.   I have read lots of posts here with posters referring to planting a potted plant as a transplant, from pot into the ground it is not a transplant. 

[Harry’s Palms]

@sonoranfans Well said! In my post I didn’t mention how badly the fail was . In 1997 I had bought my new house about 6 months after planting a beautiful , small B. Armata at my old house , the soil was still loose (amended)  around the palm . I dug a large hole carefully removed the palm from its home and planted it at my new house . After 3 months , it was dead! That is when I bought that one in the pic from my previous post. 
   In the early nineties my palm mentor told about a process for moving root sensitive palms successfully. It involved “dipping “ the root ball in a solution that sealed the damaged roots , preventing “ bleeding out “ . I never followed up on that approach, not sure how that worked out . I would think , if it was successful, it would be more commonly used. Harry

[Harry’s Palms]

8 hours ago, xtazia said:

Love it !  @Harry’s Palms What's funny to me.. i called another nursery in OC - can't remember which. Anyways the man (owner) I spoke to on the phone refused to sell me one. I'm not sure if he thought I was just an oridinary joe with no palm gardening experience. He basically said he is giving up on brahea armata's & they are too root sensitive. I kept asking for him to send photos, but I never got any. He was trying to sell me a brahea brandeegi. I chose armata because I am a sucker for silver fronds. 

Me too! I love the silver blue palms . I was so happy when my baby Butia Oderata started showing signs of bluing . As it grew , folks would ask “ what’s that silver palms?” The really cool thing is to go out on a full moon , they are almost glowing! 
   I just want to say , don’t be afraid of planting your palm . It will be ok with just the ordinary care we use when introducing a new palm to our garden . Get it in the ground soon and it will be fine . I am assuming you are in Long Beach , California . Your winters aren’t harsh enough to harm even a newly planted Brahea Armata , they are tough. I planted mine in January. Harry

[sonoranfans]

You should probably avoid any nursery that tells you they don't carry brahea armata because of root issues.  It just says they are not skilled nursery employees, they know little about their job.   I did once transplant a small brahea armata successfully, but it was just 3 months after planting and it was fine.  I had put it in a spot I deeded too shady.  Reality is it was an easy removal because roots had not grown.  A real pro can transplant almost any palm, but after 25 years growing palms I am not a real pro and have only worked with maybe 50-55 species.  Real pros do this for a living and are very patient in the dig.  After cutting a root area they check for growth of new, shorter/smaller roots before proceeding to cut the next zone.  They field grow bismarckia around here quite a lot and somebody digs them mostly successfully.  I see dozens planted around highways with 10' trunk.  But someone who does this for a living knows how to do it, it snot a "let me try it" hobby.  The pros learn from experience, what lives and what dies.  You have to ask how many bizzies are you willing to kill to learn how to do it right?

[SeanK]

12 hours ago, JohnAndSancho said:

So if that's 25 years from a 10" pot, uhhh lol... I have uhhh seeds germinating... I guess I'm growing plants for whoever ends up with this land at auction after I'm composted. 

Just cash in Sancho's 🐶 whole-life policy and buy one with ten feet of trunk.

[JohnAndSancho]

5 hours ago, SeanK said:

Just cash in Sancho's 🐶 whole-life policy and buy one with ten feet of trunk.

Dude nooooo I need Sancho around to keep me sane. I'd take him over all the palms on earth no questions asked. 

[Fusca]

15 hours ago, xtazia said:

@Fusca That is correct it is from Palm Plantation ! When you planted yours did you cut the pot off ? 

I didn't cut the pot off but now I wish I had.  Here's what mine looks like now.  Palm Plantation did a great job of cleaning the trunks in these and they also helped me fit it and two other large palms in my small sedan!  Here in Texas our selection of palms is limited!

[Hu Palmeras]

Hace 8 horas, Fusca dijo:

No corté la maceta, pero ahora me arrepiento. Así se ve la mía. Palm Plantation hizo un excelente trabajo limpiando los troncos y también me ayudóon a colocarla junto con otras dos palmeras grandes en mi pequeño sedán. ¡Aquí en Texas, nuestra selección de palmeras es limitada!

Brahea Armata super silver sprouted seeds.

[SeanK]

6 hours ago, Hu Palmeras said:

Brahea Armata super silver sprouted seeds.

Hermosas. Debe crecer bién en el clima de la costa occidental de Chile. Aguantan un frio approx de -10°C.

Probalemente quiere mas la zona de la palmera Chilena, Jubaea, pq hay mas calor en verano.

[Hu Palmeras]

I've already germinated a good number of tropical and common palm trees. I hope to have good results and bring more seeds.

[Harry’s Palms]

On 9/23/2025 at 7:08 PM, JohnAndSancho said:

So if that's 25 years from a 10" pot, uhhh lol... I have uhhh seeds germinating... I guess I'm growing plants for whoever ends up with this land at auction after I'm composted. 

Yea , well I guess that’s one way of looking at it. I am a month from 71 years on this planet and still germinating seeds! I enjoy growing small palms in my garden as much as some of my mature specimens that I planted in my 40’s . We really don’t know how long we have anyway , no expiration date on life! Enjoy your journey and you have the right attitude. The journey IS the destination . Right now I’m watching a very young Kentiopsis Pyroformis spear that has taken over a year to form , so painfully slow but still growing . 
     The Brahea Armata take a while to start gaining any real size but are constantly getting new fronds so not that bad. They look very nice as small plants . The pic I posted was from earlier this year and it is , as I said , gaining a bit of speed. I encourage folks to grow these unique looking palms , if you can find them. They used to be common in nurseries around here . Mine was a clearance plant from a big box store , I think I paid $12 for it. Harry

[Harry’s Palms]

15 hours ago, Fusca said:

I didn't cut the pot off but now I wish I had.  Here's what mine looks like now.  Palm Plantation did a great job of cleaning the trunks in these and they also helped me fit it and two other large palms in my small sedan!  Here in Texas our selection of palms is limited!

That looks pretty healthy . How long has it been in the ground? Harry

[Fusca]

2 hours ago, Harry’s Palms said:

That looks pretty healthy . How long has it been in the ground? Harry

Thanks Harry, I just planted it this past March so a little more than 6 months.  Shortly after I planted it we had a bad flood and it sat in standing water for several days.  It's only been a couple of months since the older fronds started dying off but it's opened 2 new spears since.

[Fusca]

9 hours ago, Hu Palmeras said:

Brahea Armata super silver sprouted seeds.

Did you sprout the 'super silver' seeds yourself?  I've read that the seeds are smaller than armata.  I planted a 'super silver' in 2019 from a 5-gallon pot and it's just now starting to turn from green to silver!

[Hu Palmeras]

Of course, my friend. They're very beautiful palm trees. And the Super Silver doesn't have thorns.

[Hu Palmeras]

3 hours ago, SeanK said:

Hermosas. Debe crecer bien en el clima de la costa occidental de Chile. Aguantan un frio aprox de -10°C.

Probablemente quiere más la zona de la palmera chilena, Jubaea, pq hay más calor en verano.

They are good palm trees, and resistant. I hope to have good results with Super Silver.

[Harry’s Palms]

1 hour ago, Fusca said:

Thanks Harry, I just planted it this past March so a little more than 6 months.  Shortly after I planted it we had a bad flood and it sat in standing water for several days.  It's only been a couple of months since the older fronds started dying off but it's opened 2 new spears since.

Yea , not sure how they do with wet feet but obviously it pulled through! Happy growing. Harry

[xtazia]

22 hours ago, Fusca said:

I didn't cut the pot off but now I wish I had.  Here's what mine looks like now.  Palm Plantation did a great job of cleaning the trunks in these and they also helped me fit it and two other large palms in my small sedan!  Here in Texas our selection of palms is limited!

Palm Plantation is amazing at fitting huge pots in cars ! I also took my brahea in my little VW ahaha. Yours looks good !

[xtazia]

7 hours ago, Harry’s Palms said:

Yea , well I guess that’s one way of looking at it. I am a month from 71 years on this planet and still germinating seeds! I enjoy growing small palms in my garden as much as some of my mature specimens that I planted in my 40’s . We really don’t know how long we have anyway , no expiration date on life! Enjoy your journey and you have the right attitude. The journey IS the destination . Right now I’m watching a very young Kentiopsis Pyroformis spear that has taken over a year to form , so painfully slow but still growing . 
     The Brahea Armata take a while to start gaining any real size but are constantly getting new fronds so not that bad. They look very nice as small plants . The pic I posted was from earlier this year and it is , as I said , gaining a bit of speed. I encourage folks to grow these unique looking palms , if you can find them. They used to be common in nurseries around here . Mine was a clearance plant from a big box store , I think I paid $12 for it. Harry

Honestly the brahea armata was never a palm I had on my list to ever go out purchase & plant in ground. But the more I see it I just love the palm every day I see it. 

 

Its home will be on my parkway as the brahea armata is on the long beach "tree approved list". If it wasn't for this, I don't think I would of went out & bought this palm ! But I am loving it more and more each day I see it !

 

Also I know I asked this before regarding bismarkia - but would you say the roots of the brahea armata are invasive to a water/sewer line ? 

[aztropic]

44 minutes ago, xtazia said:

 I know I asked this before regarding bismarkia - but would you say the roots of the brahea armata are invasive to a water/sewer line ? 

As with any palm, only if there is a leak present.

 

aztropic 

Mesa, Arizona 

[Harry’s Palms]

Agree , they will seek water but the roots are not invasive like a tree . Palm roots , although numerous , are not aggressive. They will seek other directions when met with obstructions . Plastic sprinkler lines can be run along where roots are most times . I had to have the French drain plumbing removed because the builder did not glue the connections and used thin wall plastic . The palm roots found a way in and clogged the drain. New 4” schedule 40 pipe was put down and glued together , no roots entering the drain. Harry

‘The French drain runs under this pathway about 18” below the pavers. This was done about 8 years ago . The roots don’t even move the pavers. The dark trunks are Queen palms that send out many “ feeder” roots, no problem. Any unevenness is poor masonary work and that’s on me 🙄!

[Hu Palmeras]

Beautiful Harry. You have a very nice palm tree garden. Beautiful specimens, my friend.