Rock Palm

Rock palm (Brahea dulcis), also known as sweet Hesper palm, is an evergreen fan palm with a single trunk and green to blue-green, deeply divided leaves. Mature plants produce long flower clusters of cream blooms followed by small green-brown fruit; the species is slow to mature and needs room for its upright crown. ## Form and size The [Royal Horticultural Society profile](https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/2381/brahea-dulcis/details) gives a mature height of 4–8 m (about 13–26 ft) and spread of 2.5–4 m (about 8–13 ft). It describes a single-trunked palm with spiny leaf stalks and 30–50 leaf segments. [Kew’s Plants of the World Online](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names/664900-1/general-information) accepts B. dulcis as a species native from Mexico to Honduras, where it grows as a shrub or tree in seasonally dry tropical habitats. ## Siting Plant in full sun in well-drained soil. The RHS notes that it tolerates poor, dry ground in frost-free sites but is frost tender; it recommends growing young plants under glass in frost-prone areas. ## Maintenance No routine pruning is needed. Remove only old, fully withered fronds if they interfere with access or appearance, taking care around the spiny leaf stalks. In a container, water moderately while the palm is growing and more sparingly in winter; outdoors, avoid poorly drained soil.