• Photo of Butia capitata (Butia capitatas)

Plant Profile: Butia capitata

Taxonomy: Butia capitata

Names

Brazilian Butia Palm, Jelly Palm, Pindo Palm, South American jelly palm, Yatay palm

  • Photo of Butia capitata (Butia capitatas)

Phonetic Spelling:BEW-tee-uh kap-ih-TAY-tuh

Genus:Butia

Species:capitata

Family:Arecaceae

The Jelly Palm is a favored choice for landscaping in northern Florida and along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts of the southeastern United States. Known for its resilience to cold, this palm features feathery, pinnate leaves that gracefully arch towards a robust trunk. Typically growing to a height of up to 20 feet, it stands erect with a single stem and thrives in warm, sunny environments. In shaded areas, its fronds tend to elongate, lending a more elegant appearance compared to those exposed to full sunlight. Over time, this plant matures into a small palm tree.

This species is among the most resilient of the feather-leaved palms, having developed a deep root system that provides some drought resistance. While it can tolerate moderate salt levels, it struggles in full shade, cold conditions, and wet soil. Additionally, this plant may encounter some pest issues.

**Quick Identification Tips:**

Butia capitata Feature Summary

Butia capitata Image Gallery

Tags

#evergreen
#full sun tolerant
#fragrant flowers
#drought tolerant
#red-orange
#shrub
#tree
#salt tolerant
#palm
#winter interest
#ornamentals
#coastal plants

Similar Plants

Butia capitata is often confused with:

Butia capitata Feature Summary

Attributes
Fruit
The fruit is spherical to ovoid, yellow to red, and 1 inch. It is used to make jellies and fermented for wine.
Red/Burgundy
Gold/Yellow
Orange
1-3 inches
1-3 inches
Flowers
Auxillary flower clusters on large 3-4 foot long inflorescence bearing tiny, yellowish to orange-red, showy flowers are fruity-scented. This plant has unisexual flowers of both sexes (male with 6 stamens and female with 3 stigmas and a solitary pistol).
Gold/Yellow
Red/Burgundy
Orange
< 1 inch
Leaves
Leaves range from light green to bluish-gray (in general, a blue-green) and grow 5 to 10 feet long that arch inwards. Each leaf has 25-60 pairs of narrow pointed leaflets. The leaves are pinnately compound, pinnae linear, 2-ranked in V-shape, regularly spaced in one plane, ascending, have a single fold, and spiral arrangement.
Green
Gray/Silver
Blue
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Whorled
Rosulate
> 6 inches
Stem
The stem is stout, erect, clothed with grey leaf bases.
Gray/Silver
Whole Plant Traits
Perennial
Shrub
Tree
Coarse
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Good Drainage
Coastal
High Organic Matter
Landscape
Drought Tolerant Garden
Winter Garden
Foundation Planting
Specimen
Flowering Tree
Lawn
Naturalized Area

Butia capitata Attributes

Butia capitata: Country Or Region Of Origin

Brazil (Bahia, Goiás, Minas Gerais)

Butia capitata: Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems)

drought tolerant, salt tolerant

Butia capitata: Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Butia capitata: Recommended Propagation Strategy

Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting

Butia capitata Fruit

Butia capitata: Fruit Description

The fruit is spherical to ovoid, yellow to red, and 1 inch. It is used to make jellies and fermented for wine.

Butia capitata: Fruit Color

grass
Gold/Yellow
grass
Orange
grass
Red/Burgundy

Butia capitata: Fruit Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy

Butia capitata: Fruit Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches

Butia capitata: Fruit Width

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches

Butia capitata Flowers

Butia capitata: Flower Description

Auxillary flower clusters on large 3-4 foot long inflorescence bearing tiny, yellowish to orange-red, showy flowers are fruity-scented. This plant has unisexual flowers of both sexes (male with 6 stamens and female with 3 stigmas and a solitary pistol).

Butia capitata: Flower Color

filter_vintage
Gold/Yellow
filter_vintage
Orange
filter_vintage
Red/Burgundy

Butia capitata: Flower Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy

Butia capitata: Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Butia capitata: Flower Size

1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches

Butia capitata Leaves

Butia capitata: Leaf Description

Leaves range from light green to bluish-gray (in general, a blue-green) and grow 5 to 10 feet long that arch inwards. Each leaf has 25-60 pairs of narrow pointed leaflets. The leaves are pinnately compound, pinnae linear, 2-ranked in V-shape, regularly spaced in one plane, ascending, have a single fold, and spiral arrangement.

Butia capitata: Leaf Color

spa
Blue
spa
Gray/Silver
spa
Green

Butia capitata: Leaf Type

Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple

Butia capitata: Leaf Arrangement

Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled

Butia capitata: Leaf Shape

Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate

Butia capitata: Hairs Present

No
Yes

Butia capitata: Leaf Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Butia capitata Stem

Butia capitata: Stem Description

The stem is stout, erect, clothed with grey leaf bases.

Butia capitata: Stem Color

grass
Gray/Silver

Butia capitata: Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Butia capitata Whole Plant Traits

Butia capitata: Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Butia capitata: Habit/Form

Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping

Butia capitata: Growth Rate

Slow
Medium
Rapid

Butia capitata: Maintenance

Low
Medium
High

Butia capitata: Texture

Fine
Medium
Coarse

Butia capitata Cultural Conditions

Butia capitata: Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Butia capitata: Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Butia capitata: Available Space To Plant

12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet

Butia capitata: NC Region

Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont

Butia capitata: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
10a
thermostat
10b
thermostat
8a
thermostat
8b
thermostat
9a
thermostat
9b

Butia capitata: Soil Texture

Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky

Butia capitata Landscape

Butia capitata: Landscape Theme

Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden

Butia capitata: Design Feature

Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree

Butia capitata: Resistance To Challenges

Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind

Butia capitata: Landscape Location

Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland