Among the many decorative and deciduous houseplants, a special place belongs to palm trees. These exotic trees are the best suited for creating an atmosphere of eternal summer in a dull city apartment. Of the huge number of palm trees that are excellent for growing at home, one of the most common is brachea, which will be discussed in this review.

Botanical description of the plant

Brahea (Latin name - Brahea) is a monocotyledonous plant native to America - North and Central. It grows naturally in the arid highlands of Mexico (including the volcanic island of Guadeloupe), Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, but is currently widely cultivated as an ornamental plant in almost all subtropical regions, including the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. coast of Russia, the Caucasus and the Crimea.

Morphological features of the palm tree:

Brachea refers to slowly growing palms, however, the growth rate after the formation of a strong seedling begins to increase gradually if the tree is provided with good conditions and regular transplantation into a larger pot.

Popular types of brachea

To date, 11 varieties of brachea are known, but as a houseplant most often you can find only three of them.

Did you know? The genus of a palm tree owes its name to the Danish astronomer and famous Renaissance alchemist Tikhon Brahe, who died, according to legend, at a royal feast due to a rupture of the bladder (the scientist was embarrassed to get up from the table). According to another subsequently confirmed version, the scientist was poisoned with mercury.

Armed brachea

The Latin name of the species is Brahea armata, in natural conditions it is distributed mainly in California (USA).

This variety owes its name to the special shape of the trunk: in addition to its impressive thickness, it also differs in the rather aggressively arranged in different directions corking remnants of once dead leaves, which gives the impression of a bristling hedgehog.The diameter of the sheet plate of Brahea armata ranges from 1–1.5 m, the number of segments in the plate is from 30 to 50, and the depth of cut is approximately 50%. The color of the leaves is silver-gray, with a wax layer on top. Powerful, up to 5 cm at the base of the petiole tapering to the top about five times, its total length is 75–90 cm. The color of the flowers in the species is light gray.

Brahea Brandegi

The Latin name is Brahea brandegeei, the distribution area is Mexico. The main distinguishing feature of the species is that the leaves at its crown do not fall apart in different directions, like the brachea armed, but stretch upwards, which makes the tree seem taller.

You can distinguish Brahea brandegeei from other types of brachea by the color of the leaves: on the outside they are not silver, but bright green. The number of segments in the “fan” is about 50 pieces. Flowers of this species have a beige color, more “warm” than Brahea armata.

Did you know? The smallest palm tree in the world is Syagrus liliputiana (dwarf siagrus). It grows in Paraguay, as well as on the island of Kalimantan and reaches a length of only 20 cm, so this tree can easily be mistaken for a bunch of grass.

Edible brachea

The Latin name of the species is Brahea edulis, the territory of distribution is the island of Guadeloupe. The base of the trunk of this tree has a grayish color, the shape of the crown looks almost the same as that of Brahea brandegeei, but the leaves on the outside are darker. In addition, the leaves of Brahea edulis are the smallest of all three species described: their diameter does not exceed 0.9 m. Another feature of the species is a larger number of segments in the leaf structure (this number ranges from 60–80 pieces). Finally, as the name implies, the berries of Brahea edulis can be eaten.

Growing at home

Of all the types of fan palm trees, brachea is perhaps one of the most enduring, for this very reason even a beginner grower can try to grow it at home. To do this, you only need to know the basic requirements that need to be provided to this tree.

Location and daylight hours

Brachea is a photophilous plant, but it still needs to be protected from direct sunlight, especially in the summer. The best place for a pot or tub is the proximity to the window facing the east, or, less successful, but acceptable, the west side.

Important! Unlike many other indoor plants, brachea is not only possible, but also needs to be periodically rotated around its axis. Such a precaution will protect young leaves from burns (they must be directed inside the room) and will allow you to form a crown as evenly as possible.

Air temperature

Optimal for growing brachea are temperature values ​​in the range + 20 ... + 27ºC. During the period when the daylight hours decrease, the plant can feel comfortable in the range of + 10 ... + 15ºC. However, it is not necessary to organize a resting phase for a palm tree with moving the tub to a cooler place, although it is desirable.

Under natural conditions, brachea grows in regions where in winter the temperature can drop to -4ºC, so for the winter, if necessary, the plant can be left on a closed balcony or loggia. But in the summer the pot can be taken out into the fresh air - a palm tree will respond to such a change of scenery with great gratitude.

Air humidity

Unlike most other palm trees, brachea does not impose strict requirements for high air humidity, therefore, in standard living rooms at rates of 45-60%, this plant can feel quite comfortable. If the air is drier, which often happens in winter, the leaves of the brachea can start to turn yellow and dry, however, for people, such conditions are also extremely undesirable, so the easiest way out of the situation is to get a special air humidifier.

Features of home care

Caring for a brachea is not particularly difficult. With a good choice of place, this unpretentious palm tree requires a minimum amount of attention.

Watering

Water the plant regularly, as the topsoil dries. Both overdrying and stagnation of water in the roots are equally unacceptable. In addition, the regularity of watering directly depends on the air temperature in the room: the lower it is, the less often you need to water the tree.

Did you know? Palm trees are used not only as a building material and a power source (dates, coconuts, etc.). Magnificent wines are prepared from some varieties of this tree, for example, raffia and yubey, and the raw materials for winemaking are not only the fruits, but also the trunk of these plants containing very sweet juice.

Watering is best done in the upper way (water does not pour into the pan, but onto the surface of the earth), around the circumference of the pot so as not to disturb the root. The water should be soft (preferably melt or rain, but if this is not possible - at least well-kept in an open container) and warm (a few degrees above room temperature).

Spraying

All tropical and subtropical plants are very fond of sprinkling. Therefore, at each watering, and if the air in the room is too dry, then daily or even several times a day, the plant must be abundantly sprayed, and the same requirements for water for spraying are applied as for watering.

Top dressing

You need to feed brachea about twice a month. However, this applies only to the phase of active growth - from February to October. In winter, when the level of lighting in the room decreases sharply, the frequency of fertilizing should be drastically reduced or the procedure should be stopped altogether.

Brachea needs a standard set of minerals, the main components of which are nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. The easiest way to feed is to use ready-made complex mineral fertilizers for palm trees or ornamental-deciduous plants, in stock sold in any flower shop.

So, the products of such brands as:

• "Master Agro";
• Activin;
• "Success";
• "Clear sheet";
• Fertis
• "Dzherelo";
• "Agricola";
• "Stimovit";
• Agricole
• Loren
• "Mr. Color";
• "Royal Mix" and many others. other

Did you know? The largest palm tree species in the world is Kyodios Wax (Ceroxylon quindiuense). This tree grows up to 50 m in the Kokora Valley, Colombia, and is one of the national symbols of the state.

Pruning

Palm trees do not need shaping or anti-aging pruning. To preserve the decorativeness of the tree, it is only necessary to carefully remove the lateral leaves of the plant that dry and die off as they grow.

Transfer

Perhaps one of the most important conditions for the rapid growth of brachea at home is the correct transplant.

While the plant is young, the intensity of its development is very high, so you need to move the palm to a larger capacity every year. Then, when the tree begins to grow in size not so fast, it is enough to carry out the procedure every 2 or 3 years. The standard transplant time is the last month of winter or the first month of spring, that is, the beginning of the growing season.

It is very important that the new pot is not too large - the standard increase in size should be 2-3 cm in height and about the same in diameter.

Tanks made of natural material or plastic are suitable for brachea, it is only necessary that the flowerpot is high enough and has drainage holes to drain excess water.

As a soil mixture for brachea, you can use ready-made substrates for palm trees, for a more intensive growth of the plant and closer soil composition to natural, adding a little lime to the purchased soil.

A more difficult option is the self-preparation of the mixture. Brachea grows best on slightly acidic or neutral soils (pH value in the range of 5.0–7.0). It is also necessary that the soil is light and nutritious, has good air and water permeability.

The optimal mixture for brachea is:

• sheet land - 2 parts;
• turf land - 2 parts;
• river sand - 1 part.

Important! If the root is damaged during the transplant, the adult brachea will stop growing for a long time, and the young plant may die at all, so the procedure should always be carried out by the transhipment method.

The substrate prepared in this way must be decontaminated first by placing it for several hours in an oven warmed up to + 70ºC, keeping it in the cold at least -10ºC twice for 12 hours with a 12-hour break, or simply pouring it with plenty of weak potassium permanganate solution.

The sequence of actions looks like this:

1. Thoroughly wash the prepared pot using detergent.
2. Put a drainage layer on the bottom of the tank - pebbles, gravel or expanded clay. The thickness of such a layer, depending on the size of the pot, should be from 2 to 10 cm.
3. Pour a small amount of prepared soil onto the drainage layer in such a way that it is possible to completely place an earthen palm on top of it and at least 3-4 cm remain to the surface of the pot.
4. Using a tablespoon, very carefully separate the earth in the pot from the walls. Before transplanting, the brachea does not need to be watered for several days, otherwise it will be much more difficult to complete this procedure.
5. Holding the brachea by the lower part of the trunk, carefully remove the plant from the pot with an earthen lump. If the flower does not lend itself, try to pry it from the bottom with a spatula or other suitable tool.
6. Install an earthen lump on the surface of the earth in a new pot and compact from all sides with fresh earth.
7. Tamp the soil surface well and add a little more earth if necessary.
8. Water the flower abundantly.

During the first month after transplanting, it is impossible to feed the brachea with fertilizers.

Breeding methods

Vegetative propagation methods are not used for brachea, therefore, the only possible method of obtaining a new plant is to plant a seed.

Important! A guarantee of germination is the high initial quality of the seed, so it is recommended to purchase seeds of slowly growing plants such as palm trees only in specialized stores with a good reputation.

It is also necessary to remember that the seeds of brachea retain their germination for a very short time - only a few months, respectively, when buying, you should always pay attention to the date of collection (or shelf life), and also not to delay planting.

The best time for planting a palm tree is the end of winter or the beginning of spring. On the one hand, during this period there is a gradual increase in the duration of daylight hours, which is perceived by all plants as a stimulus for active growth. On the other hand, the hot days are still far away, and the heating period, during which the air in the room is usually unacceptably overdried, on the contrary, should end soon.

Before sowing, seeds must be prepared. To do this, they need to be slightly trimmed to violate the integrity of the outer shell, and after that, soak:

• in a growth stimulator (Epin, Kornevin, etc.) - for 30 minutes;
• in a disinfectant preparation (biofungicide "Effect", a weak solution of potassium permanganate, diluted with water in equal parts of aloe juice, etc.) - for 12 hours.

Important! The solution for soaking the seeds should be warm, approximately + 35 ... + 40ºC, this will start the biological processes inside the seed.

Prepared seeds are planted to a depth of 3 cm in individual containers filled with a moistened mixture of peat, humus and sawdust. If you want to grow several palm trees, you can plant seeds in boxes with low sides, keeping the distance between individual specimens at least 4 cm.

From above, the container should be tightened with a film and put in a well-lit place with an air temperature of + 28 ... + 32ºC. Before seedlings appear, the tank must be periodically ventilated, and the surface of the substrate must be moistened with a spray gun.

Palm trees sprout for a very long time. This process can stretch from several months to several years.After emergence, the film is removed, and young plants are transferred to a cooler place. When the height of the sprouts reaches 10 cm, the young tree is transplanted into a pot with the usual soil mixture for palm trees.

How to deal with diseases and possible pests

The brachea has such a strong immunity that even in unnatural indoor conditions it practically does not get sick. Most of the problems that can arise with this plant are caused either by too dry air or a tight tub (in the first case, the leaves begin to turn yellow and dry, in the second - it just stops growing).

Did you know? In the Seychelles, a tree Lodoicea maldivica grows, also known as Coco de mer (sea palm). The fruit of this plant is so similar in shape to the lush female hips that the tree is sometimes called Lodoicea callipyge (the word "callipyge" from Italian can be translated as "powerful buttocks").

As for pests, the most dangerous for palm trees are attacks spider mite, mealybug and scale insects. As a rule, these parasites enter the tree from neighboring houseplants, therefore it is always very important to observe strict quarantine when buying a new flower.

Below are the characteristic symptoms of the lesion and the name of effective drugs for pest control. However, it must be borne in mind that in the early stages of the lesion, the tree can be helped without the use of potent insecticides or acaricides. To do this, it is very necessary to carefully treat all the leaves with a sponge dipped in soapy water, an infusion of garlic or other natural antiseptics.

Brachea is an incredibly beautiful fan palm, which is perfect for growing indoors. Unlike many other tropical plants, it tolerates drought quite easily, does not impose critically high requirements for air humidity and can maintain decorativeness with relatively limited lighting. You can grow such a tree from a seed, but it’s even easier to get a ready-made seedling that will very quickly reach impressive sizes and become a real decoration of the room.