Pindo Palm

Butia capitata

“Jelly Palm”

Cold hardy

 

Pindo Palms are named after the town of Pindo in southern Brazil where the palm is native but the palm is also native to South Florida.  The Pindo Palm has a feathery leaf and distinctive silver-colored fronds.  It is one of the hardiest palms in South Florida, and doesn’t mind the cold, the blazing sun, the salt air and or dry conditions. The look of the this palm is unique and versatile and it can fit nicely in small yards. 

 

Nicknamed “Jelly Palms”, the Pindo Palm produces berries that most people are surprised to learn are edible. The fibrous berries are banana yellow and sweet and tart at the same time. The berries have a kind of mixed banana/nectarine/pineapple flavor. Most people chew the fruit but spit out the fiber. If you are interested, a variety of palm fruit jelly recipes can be found on the internet.

 

One complaint about the Pindo Palm is that it produces lots of fruit and can create a mess on lawns.

 

Specifications

 

Pindo Palms are slow growers, reaching a heigh of about 20 feet.

 

When the palm is young, the fronds stay low to the ground, so allow room for them to spread out. As the palm gets older the Pindo Palm develops a thick trunk covered with woody leaf bases that remain for many years. 

 

Pindo Palms prefer full sun but will tolerate partial shade. They are moderately salt-tolerant and very cold hardy, thriving anywhere in Florida in Zone 9 and southward.

 

Care

 

A pindo palm tree is a very easy care palm. Though not absolutely necessary, you can add topsoil to the hole when you plant.  

 

Pindo Palms don't like to be kept overly wet so once the palm is established it needs minimal irrigation.

Fertilize once a season in spring, summer and autumn with a granular palm fertilizer.

 

Trim off browned fronds when the palm is young and short, but as it ages and gets taller you can let the old fronds fall off on their own.

 

Spacing

 

Pindo Palms work well as specimen plants by themselves. If you are planting near a house or fence make sure you come out 6 to 8 feet to give the palm plenty of room.  

 

For planting in a row, space Pindo Palms about 10 feet apart.

 

Pindo Palms are not usually good container palms.  

 

Landscaping with Pindo Palms

 

• use as a central focal point for a circular drive

• to flank the entrance to a stately drive

• to line a walkway

• as a single yard specimen

• as an anchor plant for a large garden bed

• to accent the corner of a house

• in front of a wall that has a sizable bed in front of it