Butia Capitata offshoot/pup?

[Honez]

My new Butia Capitata has this offshoot growing out from the bottom of it.  Is it safe to leave, or does it need to be cut off?  Should it or could it be replanted?  Thank you!

[Fusca]

4 hours ago, Honez said:

My new Butia Capitata has this offshoot growing out from the bottom of it.  Is it safe to leave, or does it need to be cut off?  Should it or could it be replanted? 

Although it may look like it is an offshoot growing off of the main palm, it isn't.  Butia palms are solitary and yours is likely Butia odorata or Butia catarinensis (more likely if it came from Florida).  What you are seeing is a seedling probably from another Butia growing nearby the one you have.  You can separate them or leave it to grow but probably best to remove the seedling.  Butias are pretty tough palms so it will probably survive being pulled out if you get most of the roots.  If you really wanted to save the seedling it would be best to take the whole bigger palm out of the container, carefully teasing them apart and repotting both.  

[Honez]

I dug about 1 to 2 inches under the butia following it.  It sure does seem like an offshoot.  Its is coming out of the mother plant and is firmly attached to it.  So is this not a butia or is this somehow a seedling growing from under the mother plant?  I can't move it at all or get it to budge.

[Fusca]

The roots of the small seedling are probably wrapped around the larger one's roots.  If you are not able to separate them you can either let them both grow together or just cut the seedling off.  Doing so won't hurt the larger Butia.  Here's another example of two solitary palms (Washingtonia) growing together in a similar situation as yours.  Found these today on the San Antonio Riverwalk.  Looks just like an offset, but it isn't.

Edited April 24, 2021 by Fusca