Other Names:  Mexican Dwarf Blue Fan Palm

Description:

A rare and beautiful dwarf variety, presenting phenomenal steel blue fans; a slow growing, clustering species with high drought and frost tolerance; a stunning addition to the tropical landscape

Ornamental Features

Sierra Madre Palm has attractive steel blue foliage with hints of silver which emerges grayish green in spring on a plant with an upright spreading habit of growth. The large fan-shaped palmate leaves are highly ornamental and remain steel blue throughout the winter. However, the fruit can be messy in the landscape and may require occasional clean-up.

Landscape Attributes

Sierra Madre Palm is an open multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively coarse texture can be used to stand it apart from other landscape plants with finer foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and usually looks its best without pruning, although it will tolerate pruning. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Suckering
• Spiny

Sierra Madre Palm is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use

Planting & Growing

Sierra Madre Palm will grow to be about 6 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 10 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live to a ripe old age of 150 years or more; think of this as a heritage shrub for future generations!

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist growing conditions, but will not tolerate any standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for xeriscaping or the moisture-conserving landscape. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in sandy soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is not originally from North America.