Common Name(s): Sonoran Palmetto, Palma Blanca

Synonym(s):

Family: Arecaceae

Native To: Northwestern Mexico

Native Habitat: In arid areas along water courses

Growth Habit: Medium sized palm

Flowering: White flowers on an inflorescence

Distinguishing Characteristics: This desert palm tree grows to heights of 25 to 50 feet tall. The large leaves, or palm fronds, grow directly out of the single unbranching trunk. The leaves are about 5 to 8 feet long. The drooping leaf segments are silvery blue in color and about 3 feet long. Fibers hang in between the leaflets. The palm produces white flowers in drupes that later form small black fruit.

Natural History and Cultivation Notes: The species name, uresana, refers to an area named Ures in Mexico where the plant is quite common. This palm is also commonly known in Mexico as palma blanca.

Ethnobotany: S. uresana is a highly valued and economically important tree in many regions of Mexico. The new, unexpanded leaves are used extensively to make baskets, mats, rope, and other items. The older leaves are also used to make brooms. The fibers that hang between the leaflets have also been used to make saddle blankets. The trunks of this palm have regularly been used to build corrals and as crossbeams for houses. The sugary mesocarp of the fruit is locally eaten fresh or cooked. Like the S. palmetto, the heart of the palm, or the young bud, are eaten occasionally, and this also has a lethal effect on this palm. The petioles of the huge leaves are also sometimes used to build racks for aging cheese, as stirring sticks, or for broom handles.

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