Research and Conservation in Southern Sonora, Mexico

Brahea aculeata (palma)

Brahea aculeata is a small tree between 6 and 29 feet tall (2-9 m), with serrated leaf stalks attaching to the trunk. It grows in the higher elevation TDF in the Río Mayo region.

Residents within its range have long used the durable, pliable fronds of this fan palm for rope-making, basketry, and roofing. As a roofing material they provide superb protection from heat and are quiet during heavy rains. Roofs last about twenty five years.