Big Butia growing in southern Europe

[Christian_G]

Hi

I had posted some times ago pictures of a big Butia which I was not able to identify; I went back to this palm and I took again some pictures which are hopefully helpful for identification. The inflorescence spathe was not 'woolly' and the petioles seemed broader than in other Butias growing nearby. Flowers were not visible.

In the meantime, the palm was labelled as Butia capitata, but I have never seen a B. capitata with a trunk of this size. What do you think?

Big Butia

Big Butia trunk base - the lenght of the shoe is 30cm which corresponds to 1 foot.

Big Butia - close up of the leaves

Ciao,

Christian

[Joe palma]

Looks like your classic Jubaea x Butia.

As you mention, no Butia has a trunk that fat!

[MattyB]

Whoah, that thing is huge!  The crown looks like a Butia but the trunk looks like a Jubaea.  It's probably a hybrid like Joe suggested.

[FRITO]

Id also Guess J X B hybrid.

awesome palm!! that thing is massive. any more photos of this area?

[_Keith]

I'll leave identification to the experts, but wanted to say thanks for posting the picture of this great palm.    I love Butia anything.

[PalmGuyWC]

Christian,

I would have to guess also that this is a Butia X Jubaea. However, strange that the spathe is not wooley as that is one of the sure indicators that it's a hybrid. That is one beautiful palm.  I wonder how old it is?

Dick

[kylecawazafla]

It's too bad there are no pictures of the seed! If it weren't for the size of the palm, I would never have suspected it to be a hybrid. The leaves recurve strongly!

[merrill]

Hi, Christian:

What is the diameter of the trunk on the big one?  Every once in a while there is a monster Butia that doesn't look like it has Jub in it.

merrill

[Nigel]

When I was in Argentina there was a location where Butia yatays grow with enormous fat trunks, and we certainly found some eriospathas like that in private gardens the year before. Maybe its cultural, anyway I am with Merrill in that these monster Butias do occur.

[The Germinator]

Mondo Capitata, I wonder how old it is.

[Christian_G]

Hi

Thank you very much for the feedback and all your interesting comments!

I have no idea about the age of this palm; the diameter of the trunk is about 2.5 - 3 feet. The seeds look like miniature J. chilensis seeds.

The place this palm is growing is southern France (Nice); here are some more pictures from this location:

W. filifera (left) and W. robusta (right).

More palms including: L. chinensis, P. canariensis, T. fortunei, and S. romanzoffiana.

The only Acacia sp. 'native to Europe': A. x hanburyana (A. dealbata x A. podalyriifolia).

Keiththibodeaux, it was your posting about ‘Butia capitata or not?’ which motivated me to post my pictures! Butia is also one of my preferred genera: frost hardy, tropical-looking and sweet fruits…

Nigel, I read your travel reports with great interest!

Ciao,

Christian

[Alberto]

Ciao Christian!

How are the seeds of B.eriospatha that I sent your way?

[edbrown_III]

Christian its quite a beautiful tree.

If it doesnt have tomentum on spathe it eliminates B. eriospathea as a choice.

If the petiole is armed it suggests one of the remaining large Butias

large seeds and flowers implies B. yatai

small seeds and flowers implies B. capitata.

B. paraguayensis doesnt get that big.

Have Butia x Jubeas been round as long as that tree is old? --

Great photos !

Best regards

Ed

[Christian_G]

Hi Alberto!

The seeds have germinated very well! I have now a lot of baby B. eriospatha palms as you can see on the pictures below. The 'wide leaflet form' is growing very fast, and I planted one last year in my garden in southern Switzerland (as shown on the second picture). Also the S. romanzoffiana grew well, and the Araucaria angustifolia seeds have grown into very nice 1 foot tall plants! Thank you very much again! Did the Sabal seeds germinate?

Baby B. eriospatha grown from seeds Alberto sent me.

B. eriospatha seedling planted in southern Switzerland.

Ciao to Brasil (I just came back from Colombia; next time I will try to come to Brasil),

Christian

[Christian_G]

Hi Ed

Thank you very much for your feedback!

I have no idea about the age of this palm; next time I visit the place, I will ask about its age.

I would however exclude this palm to be a B. yatay due to the shape of its seeds (Juabea-like, but smaller).

I have grown some small palms from seeds collected from this tree; I hope to post some pics soon.

Ciao,

Christian

[Christian_G]

Hi Alberto

I forgot this picture here which is a close-up of some seedlings.

Nice green B. eriospatha seedlings grown from seeds Alberto collected and sent me.

Ciao,

Christian

[Christian_G]

Two offsprings of the tall Butia (some offsprings have already started to produce adult leaves).

Ciao,

Christian

[Alberto]

Christian,thanks for posting this pics! I am glad they are growing so nicelly and healthy!

[Alicehunter2000]

Beautiful Butia.....there is a Butia at my old palm guys place that was dug up from our airport here in P.C. . When I get finished being ticked at the guy, I will try and get some pics. While not as tall as the one pictured, It might be as fat. One thing that strikes me about your palm is the lack of boots. Most B. capita that I have seen around here, all retain their boots unless very old.....then only the oldest boots fall away.....unlike the smooth trunk those seem to have up to the crown.

[Kris]

(Joe palma @ Feb. 20 2008,17:31)

QUOTE

Looks like your classic Jubaea x Butia.

As you mention, no Butia has a trunk that fat!

Dear Friends  

even iam of the opnion that pure butia puts out medium to normal trunks only but some have said that they grow huge trunks..but iam not taking the hybrids into account...

but i must say,very lovely and fentastic palm stills seen above..that butia X...is mouth watering.and the washy filifera & cidp's are suberb !

Dear Christian  

lovely coverage of palms wish to see more from that location_please !

thanks & love,

Kris