Butia

Butia

* page under construction...completed Jan 6 2012

Butia capitata ( Jelly Palm )
A slow growing, hardy Palm, reaching around 25 feet, that is native to Uruguay and eastern Brazil.
Some records include: 20 years - 17 x 17 feet; largest on record - 40 x 20 feet with a trunk diameter of 3 feet. This Palm can make up to 10 inches in trunk growth a year though as much as 3 feet has been reported though extremely rare. In appearance it looks somewhat like a shorter Phoenix canariensis.
The dead frond bases remain attrached to the thick trunk.
The graceful, arching to recurved, feathery, pinnate leaves are blue-green and up to 6 ( 17 ) feet in length. The leaflets are up to 30 x 1 inches.
The short flowers clusters, up to 6 feet in length, are yellow or pinkish.
The flowers are followed by yellow to red, sweet, edible berries up to an inch that are borne in large, heavy clusters. The fruit taste somewhat like pineapple.
Hardy zones 8 to 10 ( zone 7 on very protected sites, tolerating as low as 0 F ) on a hot sunny site though also tolerant of partial shade.
Very vigorous in Cornwall, England and also grows in coastal Oregon and on protected sites in Washington, DC and Vancouver BC. It has been reported to survive -10 F with trunk wrapping. Unfortunately, the Pindo Palm will defoliate at temperatures less than 20 F. Very tolerant of heat and drought; too much water or high water table can cause disease. It is in fact the most drought tolerant of all the pinnate frond palms.
The Pindo Palm is also moderately salt tolerant and is also very easy to grow in large planters or containers outdoors.
It is generally sold in nurseries as a containerized plant.

* photo of unknown internet source



Butia eriospatha

Slow growing Palm making up to 13 inches trunk growth in a year. This Palm is hardy north to zone 7 and can tolorate 0 F

Butia frondosa
Reaches up to 40 feet.

Butia paraguayensis

Growing to 12 feet tall and 8 feet wide; this Palm is hardy to 5 F

Butia yatay
A medium-sized Palm that is native to Argentina. Some records include: largest on record - 70 feet with a trunk diameter of 1.5 feet.
The pinnate fronds are up to 7 feet in length.
Hardy zones 8 to 10 ( tolerating as low as 10 F ).