Hello all:) I was wondering if those of you who grow Butia's up in northern zones have had any luck with them fruiting? I'm a 6b, I was wondering if it's possible...

Do you mean in the ground or a container? In a container, it should fruit eventually as long as it gets the summer heat and sun it needs. They are not reliably hardy to Zone 7, especially in my WET winters with lots of rain or snow. They do do superbly in tubs, but you would need to protect from hard frost.

Honestly, I think you will be lucky to keep alive. Fruiting, no way. Sorry.

You might enjoy this read.

http://www.bananas.org/f8/6-months-regrowth-butia-capitata-10069.html

I was planning on building a temporary greenhouse over the palms from about November (When the temperatures start dropping below freezing) to late March, and heating the interior of the greenhouse with Christmas lights on a thermostat...is this practical or am I crazy?

I was planning on building a temporary greenhouse over the palms from about November (When the temperatures start dropping below freezing) to late March, and heating the interior of the greenhouse with Christmas lights on a thermostat...is this practical or am I crazy?

Oh, that changes everything. And not at all crazy. Well, no crazier than the rest of us, lol..

There were some large fruiting Butia here in Atlanta, I think they had been fruiting for a couple years. They were planted en masse outside a popular Brazilian restaurant. We are technically Zone 7b but had a long run of Zone 8 temps, probably since they were planted.

Anyway, haven't been by there since the big freeze, but I imagine the cold put an end to their fruiting if it didn't just kill them all outright. We got down to around 5F with around 72 hours below 28F, and then 8F with 2" of snow slightly afterward. I doubt the restaurant protected the palms at all but they are in a favorable microclimate.

Long story short, they did fruit here with a long string of zone 8 winters, with daytime temps almost always rising above freezing and a long hot growing season. If you can replicate those conditions with your protection scheme you should be good to go!

Edited February 4, 201412 yr by stevethegator

Feeling a little more optimistic now! Thanks for the replies! Here in Kansas, from about June to September, we have highs in the 90s, lows in the 70s, October to December, highs in the 60s-70s to lows in the 40s, January through March, highs in the 20s, 30s, and 40s, and lows in the teens, and April-May, highs in the 60s-80s and lows in the 50s...so I'd definitely keep it under wraps from about October through March...

Here is the palm in question, last March. Apparently the fruits ripened through the winter, which was relatively mild here.

Second photo is a poor shot of some of the others, most did not have fruit. The place has (had?) around two dozen Butia all that size

Edited February 4, 201412 yr by stevethegator

Don't know why it came out sideways I apologize! Tried to fix it

Very beautiful Butia:D

Yeah they really stand out at that restaurant, I almost couldn't believe it when I saw the place.

Sadly, I'll be very surprised if they survive this winter. If any do survive to fruit again I'd want some of those seeds!

One thing I've heard Butia hates is frozen precip. or any kind of water in the crown during a deep freeze. The drier you can keep yours through the winter the better.

Steve, is RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT! Butia does not deal well with cold wet in the crown...even without the subarctic conditions!

In my zone, the only ones I have had success with in the ground, are Needles, some Sabals, and Trachys. But thus year, the Trachys are gonna take a (non-lethal) hit!

I've seen them fruit on the Eastern Shore of VA (north of VA Beach). You just need an adequate growing season which will require a small mini greenhouse.

They definitely fruit here. One of the relatively small number (a dozen?) of pinnate palms that does.