Practical
Plants

Butia capitata

Jelly Palm

a perennial woody evergreen member of the Butia genus in the family Palmae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Palmae
Genus
Butia
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Woodiness
woody
Growth rate
slow
Height
6 m
Spread
4 m
Flower type
monoecious

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Fruit - raw[10][1][3]. Sweet and aromatic with the flavour of apricots[183, K]. They can also be made into jellies, jams, pies, cakes etc[4]. The fruit is very fibrous but is also very nice[K]. The fruit is about 34 x 25mm[7]. The seed contains up to 45% of an edible oil, it is used mainly for margarines[6][9][10][11]. The pith of the stem can be made into a bread[6]. However, because the tree cannot make side branches this will effectively kill it[K].

Plant part
Fruit
Product or use
Oil
Plant part
Stem

Environment

Range
Southern S. America - South Brazil and Uruguay.
Habitat
Grassland plains near the coast[8].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 10+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a warm greenhouse at not less than 24°c[5]. Stored seed is very slow to germinate. Pre-soaking the seed for 24 hours in warm water prior to sowing may shorten the germination time. Plants form a long tap-root some time before forming a shoot. Germination of fresh seed usually takes place in 3 - 4 months at 25°c[2]. Plant out into individual pots either as soon as root growth is noticed or as soon as top growth appears. Grow on in a greenhouse for at least the first winter. See Cultivation notes above regarding planting them outdoors.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Succeeds in most fertile moist but well-drained soils in a sheltered sunny position[5][7][8]. Tolerates light shade[5]. This plant is not very cold-hardy in Britain but it tolerates short-lived frosts down to about -2°c and can be pot-grown taking the pot outdoors in the summer and keeping it in a conservatory during the winter[7]. It might succeed outdoors in a selected site in the very mildest areas of the country[7]. There are several mature specimens in south-west Cornwall that were planted in the early 1900's[8]. Palms usually have deep penetrating root systems and generally establish best when planted out at a young stage. However, older plants are substantially more cold tolerant than juvenile plants[8]. In areas at the limit of their cold tolerance, therefore, it is prudent to grow the plants in containers for some years, giving them winter protection, and only planting them into their permanent positions when sheer size dictates[8]. Palms can also be transplanted even when very large. Although the thick fleshy roots are easily damaged and/or desiccated, new roots are generally freely produced. It is important to stake the plant very firmly to prevent rock, and also to give it plenty of water until re-established - removing many of the leaves can also help[8]. A slow-growing plant[8], it is occasionally cultivated for its edible fruit and seed[10].

References

  1. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

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  2. Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 3. Thompson and Morgan. 1989-00-00

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  3. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

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  4. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

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  5. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

    ↩1↩2↩3

  6. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

    ↩1↩2

  7. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  8. McMillan-Browse. P. Palms for Cooler Climates. Trebah Enterprises. 1993-00-00 ISBN 0 9521952 0 8

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7

  9. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

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  10. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩1↩2↩3

  11. Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968-00-00

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