Brahea armata, commonly known as Mexican blue palm or "blue hesper palm", is a palm is native to Baja California. It is widely planted as an ornamental.
It grows to a height of 49 ft, with a stout trunk. Its distinctly bluish leaves are 3 ft–6 ft wide, with 3 ft long petioles. The leaves are persistent in nature, forming a shag around the trunk; in cultivation they are typically burned or cut off. The inflorescences extend out beyond the crown, reaching 16 ft in length. The flowers themselves are small, appearing in February and March, while the fruits are 18–24 millimetres in length, brown and with a generally ovoid to globose shape.
It is sometimes found with Washingtonia filifera or Washingtonia robusta in the wild.
B. armata has an attractive appearance, especially when young, and is somewhat common at nurseries in the Phoenix area. It is drought tolerant (although occasional deep irrigation is recommended), can handle both partial shade and full sun, and temperatures down to −10 °C (14 °F). It is found under a variety of names, including "Mexican blue palm", "blue hesper palm", "big blue hesper palm", "blue fan palm", "sweet brahea", and "palma blanca". Zones 8b-10b