Rare Butia & Syagrus Seeds – Limited Supply

[MobileBayGarden]

I’m offering a small, limited batch of rare Butia and Syagrus seeds, freshly sourced from their natural habitats. These seeds are top quality—fresh, viable, and quick to germinate.

📦 Shipping: $7 flat rate within the U.S.
🌍 International Orders: Please contact me for details.

Quantities are limited, so don’t miss out! For questions or to place an order, send me a message anytime.

 

 

Butia archeri var. diamantinensis ($8 each)

An exceptionally rare, microendemic variety found only in the highlands surrounding Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Unlike the typical Butia archeri, it displays lush green leaves with broad pinnae forming a dense, spherical crown that sets it apart in any collection. Native to rocky grasslands, it thrives in full sun, well-drained soils, and seasonal dry conditions. Virtually absent from cultivation, this is a true collector’s palm—highly desirable, distinctive, and seldom available.

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Butia catarinensis ($4 each)

A midsize, coastal Butia from southern Brazil’s restinga habitats along the Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul coasts. With a slender, solitary trunk reaching about 2–3 m and a graceful blue-green crown, it thrives in sandy, wind-blown soils and tolerates light frost (down to approximately –8 °C). Its edible fruit is ideal for jellies, jams, and liqueurs. Elegant, compact, and rugged, this palm is perfect for collectors who value both form and resilience.

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Butia exilata ($9 each)

A recently described and highly uncommon dwarf Butia native to the rocky grasslands of southern Brazil. This clumping (cespitose) species produces multiple slender basal stems topped with fine, arching fronds and an irregular crown. Adapted to full sun and excellent drainage, it tolerates drought, wind, and mild frost. Rare in cultivation, it offers palm collectors a unique and compact species not often seen outside its native range.

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Butia lallemantii ($8 each)

An ultra-rare, dwarf clumping Butia native to sandy grasslands of southern Brazil and Uruguay. With an underground or barely emerging stem, it typically reaches only 60–160 cm tall and forms multiple slender trunks. Its silvery blue-green fronds and cold-hardy nature (to around –8 °C or colder) make it exceptionally garden-worthy. Highly scarce in cultivation, it’s a prized specimen for collectors seeking compact, hardy novelty palms.

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Butia purpurascens (Red Fruit) ($9 each)

A slender, solitary palm from Brazil’s Cerrado near Jataí, celebrated for its unique spineless petiole and vibrant purple or red fruit. Growing to 3–7 m tall, it bears striking foliage and is one of the most elegant Butia species known. Endangered and extremely rare, it is coveted by enthusiasts who appreciate both its botanical rarity and ornamental beauty.

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Butia purpurascens (Yellow Fruit) ($8 each)

The same graceful form as the red fruit variety, but with stunning golden to orange fruit that glow against the green fronds. Equally rare and endangered, this fruit color variant adds an extra layer of uniqueness for dedicated collectors.

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Butia witeckii ($8 each)

A striking and endangered Butia from central Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, known for producing the largest fruit and seed in the genus. This solitary palm reaches 3–6.5 m tall, with a graceful crown of 14–25 green fronds, often with a naturally twisted rachis. Its massive, fibrous fruits are both ornamental and distinctive, with a unique three-angled seed. Flowering in spring and fruiting late into the season, it thrives in sunny, open sites with well-drained soils.

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Butia yatay (Blue Form) ($6 each)

A rarer, blue-tinged variant of the classic Yatay palm, this majestic full-sized Butia hails from Uruguay and southern Brazil. It boasts arching, grayish-blue pinnate fronds up to 2 m long, atop a solitary trunk reaching 12 m tall. Thanks to its silvery-blue leaf tones and stately silhouette, the blue form is a standout for collectors who appreciate bold, ornamental palms.

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Geonoma schottiana ($3 each)

An elegant understory palm found throughout Brazil’s gallery forests. It typically forms clumps or solitary stems up to 6 m tall, with delicate, arching leaves and deep green foliage. Clusters of small white flowers give way to vibrant purple fruit along bright red rachises—attractive to birds and striking against its dark foliage. A refined and unusual choice for collectors seeking a graceful, forest-floor aesthetic.

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Syagrus comosa ($6 each)

Known as the Catolé Palm, this medium-sized feather-leaf palm reaches 1–7 m tall and often exhibits a short or nearly stemless form. Its lush, densely plumose crown of dark green fronds pairs beautifully with its edible fruit—initially greenish-white, maturing to yellow. Exceptional for its compact size and prolific fruiting, it’s ideal for those looking to cultivate palms for both ornamental appeal and edible yield.

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Syagrus coronata (Blue Form) ($4 each)

A fascinating blue-leaf variant of the Licuri Palm (S. coronata), a slow-growing palm native to eastern Brazil. The standard form reaches up to 9 m tall with stiff compound leaves and globose edible fruit, commonly used ornamentally and culturally. The blue variant enhances its allure—offering collectors a rare, striking foliage color along with its well-known culinary and cultural significance.

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Syagrus lorenzoniorum ($6 each)

A rare Brazilian palm described in 2010, originating from rock outcrops in southern Bahia. This species reaches up to 7–8 m in height and bears slender trunks topped with graceful foliage and long, pendant inflorescences. Its scarcity in cultivation makes it a prized container specimen for advanced collectors seeking something truly exotic and distinctive.

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Syagrus microphylla ($9 each)

A rare, dwarf clustering palm endemic to Bahia, Brazil, growing up to just 1 m tall. Often subterranean, its small crown of glaucous, plumose leaves makes it perfect for container cultivation. Despite its diminutive size, it sends up long flower stalks and is highly ornamental. Ideal for collectors desiring compact and unusual palms with refined form and rarity.

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[MobileBayGarden]

Thank you all for your amazing interest in these seeds!

I’m currently going through your messages and will be responding to everyone today. As a special bonus, any orders placed through this weekend will include a free sample of a hybrid I’ve been developing.

 

Stay tuned—several new hybrids and other exciting seed varieties will be posted for sale in the next few days.

 

Thanks again for all your support!

[Robbertico18]

Will the hybrids be seeds or seedlings ?

[MobileBayGarden]

3 hours ago, Robbertico18 said:

Will the hybrids be seeds or seedlings ?

Hello, 

They will be seeds. Seedlings will be available in the future. 

Philippe

[MobileBayGarden]

Hello everyone,

Thank you for all the interest and inquiries regarding the hybrids I recently mentioned. Below is a quick overview of what I currently have available, along with a preview of what will be coming soon. I’ll be posting seeds and more detailed information over the next few days.

Available Now:

• Butia odorata × Syagrus romanzoffiana (Standard Mule) — $2 each

• Butia odorata ‘Strictor’ × Syagrus romanzoffiana — $3 each

• Butia odorata ‘Strictor’ × Butyagrus (Butia odorata × Syagrus romanzoffiana) — $3.50 each

• Butia odorata ‘Super Silver’ × Syagrus romanzoffiana — $3 each

• Butia odorata ‘Super Silver’ × Butyagrus (Butia odorata × Syagrus romanzoffiana) — $3.50 each

• Butia catarinensis × Syagrus romanzoffiana — $3 each

Coming Soon:

• Butyagrus × Butia odorata ‘Super Silver’

• Butyagrus × (Butia odorata × Monty)

• Butyagrus × Butia catarinensis

I may have a few others coming up as well. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

[Josh76]

Hi. I'm interested, but am curious about how you obtained the species and hybrid seed. Can anyone give feedback about this seller? Or can you go into some more detail about how you created the hybrids? Looking forward to hearing more. Thanks in advance!

[MobileBayGarden]

51 minutes ago, Josh76 said:

Hi. I'm interested, but am curious about how you obtained the species and hybrid seed. Can anyone give feedback about this seller? Or can you go into some more detail about how you created the hybrids? Looking forward to hearing more. Thanks in advance!

Certainly,

 

For those who don’t know me, my name is Philippe Lacoste. I retired from the United States Marine Corps a few years ago and am now pursuing two degrees at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. Over the past two years, my primary focus has been on cocosoids and palm hybridization, with the goal of advancing cold tolerance for broader commercial use.

 

When it comes to pure seed, sourcing high-quality specimens has been a major challenge. After several setbacks with RPS and similar suppliers, I turned to direct imports from native habitats, building connections through friends in academia. The species I’ve listed here represent only part of my collection, but whenever I have more than I need, I make them available to support the community. I anticipate offering additional species in the near future as well.

 

The hybrids listed are my own projects from this year. I’m sharing some of the extra seed I’ve produced and will be posting a more detailed sales update later this week. At that time, I’ll also be glad to answer any questions about my hybridizing methods. I believe knowledge should be shared, and I encourage anyone with interest to try creating hybrids themselves. While the process can be time-consuming, it’s also very straightforward and rewarding.

 

I hope this provides some background and clarity. Please feel free to reach out with any questions—I’m always happy to help.

 

Philippe

[Jubilation]

On 8/16/2025 at 6:07 PM, Josh76 said:

Hi. I'm interested, but am curious about how you obtained the species and hybrid seed. Can anyone give feedback about this seller? Or can you go into some more detail about how you created the hybrids? Looking forward to hearing more. Thanks in advance!

I've bought from him before, got the other butia from another older post. All seeds were as described, nice n plump. 

[Fusca]

@MobileBayGarden Phillipe, what is the point of crossing the Butia odorata 'super silver' with the Syagrus and Butyagrus?  I have yet to see a mule that didn't have the dark green fronds of the Syagrus parent.  Unless maybe if the Butyagrus was created with a 'super silver' and the second cross with a 'super silver' might get some variation in color?

[MobileBayGarden]

13 hours ago, Fusca said:

@MobileBayGarden Phillipe, what is the point of crossing the Butia odorata 'super silver' with the Syagrus and Butyagrus?  I have yet to see a mule that didn't have the dark green fronds of the Syagrus parent.  Unless maybe if the Butyagrus was created with a 'super silver' and the second cross with a 'super silver' might get some variation in color?

Great question!
 

So the goal of this cross is to hopefully get some color variation in F1 offspring. You are correct that a lot of mules do present similar attributes, but there is actually a good amount of variation in color and form when you really start looking.
I have one Butyagrus that exhibits a more silver hue and am hoping to produce something even more exaggerated for future crosses by using the SuperSilver as parent in this trial.
I am also growing out a few trays of F2s from seed of my “silver-ish” Butyagrus that I produced last year to see if the color and form remain stable since F2 hybrid offspring can be all over the place genetically . 
 

Here is a side by side of the silver-ish form Butyagrus with very stiff recurved form on the left and a more relaxed green form, that I love as well, on the right. You can definitely see how the Butia and Syagrus come through differently in offspring. 

 

This is a photo of the Butia odorata ‘Super Silver’ that I’m hoping comes through in this new cross. 

Hope that helps explain my goals. Let me know if you have any other questions. 

[MobileBayGarden]

I have had a few people ask me if I had pure Butia odorata 'Super Silver'. I do have a limited supply of 'Super Silver', Strictor, and a Relaxed Form of Butia odoarata available this year as well. If you are interested just let me know. Super Silver is posted above, and I will add pictures of the other two below. 

Butia odorata 'Strictor' 

 

Butia odorata (Relaxed Form - This is one of my favorites. The fronds are so relaxed that they flutter in the wind almost like a Queen, and have a great color.)

[Hu Palmeras]

On 16/8/2025 at 19:26, MobileBayGarden said:

Ciertamente,

 

Para quienes no me conocen, me llamo Philippe Lacoste. Me retiré del Cuerpo de Marines de los Estados Unidos hace unos años y ahora estoy cursando dos carreras en la Universidad Estatal de Luisiana en Baton Rouge. Durante los últimos dos años, me he centrado principalmente en los cocosoides y la hibridación de palmeras, con el objetivo de mejorar la tolerancia al frío para un uso comercial más amplio.

 

En lo que respecta a semillas puras, conseguir especímenes de alta calidad ha sido un gran desafío. Tras varios contratiempos con RPS y proveedores similares, recurrí a la importación directa de hábitats nativos, forjando contactos a través de amigos del mundo académico. Las especies que he enumerado aquí representan solo una parte de mi colección, pero cuando tengo más de las que necesito, las pongo a disposición para apoyar a la comunidad. Preveo ofrecer también más especies próximamente.

 

Los híbridos que mencioné son proyectos propios de este año. Comparto algunas de las semillas adicionales que he producido y publicaré una actualización de ventas más detallada a finales de esta semana. En ese momento, también estaré encantado de responder cualquier pregunta sobre mis métodos de hibridación. Creo que el conocimiento debe compartirse y animo a todos los interesados a intentar crear sus propios híbridos. Si bien el proceso puede llevar tiempo, también es muy sencillo y gratificante.

 

Espero que esto les haya brindado información y les haya aclarado el tema. No duden en contactarme si tienen alguna pregunta; siempre estaré encantado de ayudar.

 

Felipe

 Philippe, thank you so much. You're a great gentleman and friend. The 10 Chambeyronia Macrocarpa watermelon seeds germinated on the heating mat. There's a certain Alex García in Spain who created a botanical world of palm trees. And he clones many of them. Congratulations! You've been an excellent seed provider for all of us. I don't know what you'll encounter along the way, but something will come out of your hard work, and those palm trees will express an even greater life of their own.

Hugo Aravena

 

[Hu Palmeras]

Escúchame, amigo. Quiero que clones esta palmera. Es Jubaea Chilensis x Butia Odorata. ¿Puedes?

Quiero tener esta forma única y majestuosa de esta gran palmera. Es un lujo.

[Stefanus]

I have ordered several seeds from Philippe last Sunday and I already received them yesterday. Philippe was very kind and answered all my questions. The package was packed perfectly and 5 extra hybrid seeds were added to my order. I can only recommend ordering from Philippe! 

[Austinpalm]

I received 10 B. witeckii and some bonus hydrid seeds as shown above.  All arrived fast and in great condition.  All spent 2 nights soaking and are now in baggies for germination.  All sank immediately.  I am very happy with the seeds I received and Phillipe's quick response to requests and questions.  Will definitely consider Phillipe for future seed purchases.

[Hillizard]

On 8/19/2025 at 11:10 PM, MobileBayGarden said:

Great question!
 

So the goal of this cross is to hopefully get some color variation in F1 offspring. You are correct that a lot of mules do present similar attributes, but there is actually a good amount of variation in color and form when you really start looking.
I have one Butyagrus that exhibits a more silver hue and am hoping to produce something even more exaggerated for future crosses by using the SuperSilver as parent in this trial.
I am also growing out a few trays of F2s from seed of my “silver-ish” Butyagrus that I produced last year to see if the color and form remain stable since F2 hybrid offspring can be all over the place genetically . 
 

Here is a side by side of the silver-ish form Butyagrus with very stiff recurved form on the left and a more relaxed green form, that I love as well, on the right. You can definitely see how the Butia and Syagrus come through differently in offspring. 

 

This is a photo of the Butia odorata ‘Super Silver’ that I’m hoping comes through in this new cross. 

Hope that helps explain my goals. Let me know if you have any other questions. 

My seeds from Philippe arrived this week in great condition. Now the trick is to germinate them! Really nice to get bonus seeds of one of his palm crosses!!

[Meangreen94z]

I would be interested in ‘Super Silver’ seed if you have any left.

[MobileBayGarden]

38 minutes ago, Meangreen94z said:

I would be interested in ‘Super Silver’ seed if you have any left.

Message sent.

[MobileBayGarden]

Hello All,

So, I was chatting with another member about Butia archeri last weekend. I have an adolescent archeri that is a few years old, and I was noticing some difference in color and form from the habitat photos of the var. diamantinensis. After diving down a rabbit hole for most of the day I wanted to share some interesting and exciting info. I knew that this particular variety is only found in a very small area around the town of Diamantina, Brazil. It is considered endangered because of the small unique population being encroached by farming. This is a breakdown of the two cultivars and what is being proposed in Brazilian academics to split the species and better protect this unique plant. I will also add a link to a very interesting paper about this dilemma. 

Splitting_Butia_archeri_Arecaceae_of_Brazilian_cen.pdf

 

This is a summary of the above paper. Would love to hear everyone's opinion. I personally fell like this makes it an even more precious palm and am happy that I can share it so our community can help to preserve this gift.

 

While Butia archeri var. archeri and Butia archeri var. diamantinensis were once considered two varieties of the same species, recent taxonomic studies suggest they are distinct species. The primary distinctions lie in their leaf characteristics, growth habit, and geographic distribution. 

 

Taxonomic status

• Butia archeri var. archeri: Now widely considered to be the species Butia archeri.
• Butia archeri var. diamantinensis: Has been elevated to its own species, Butia diamantinensis. 

 

Key differences

 

Characteristic	Butia archeri (formerly var. archeri)	Butia diamantinensis (formerly var. diamantinensis)
Growth habit	Both acaulescent (trunkless) and short-trunked caulescent populations exist.	Caulescent (trunked) only.
Leaf color	Glaucous (bluish-green).	Green.
Leaflet arrangement	Narrow leaflets held in a distinct V-shape along the rachis.	Wide leaflets clustered closely together on the rachis.
Canopy shape	The leaves are strongly recurved, forming a more open canopy.	The leaves form a nearly spherical canopy.
Leaf anatomy	Distinctive internal leaf anatomy, with raphide-containing idioblasts in the mesophyll.	Contains unique anatomical features, such as revolute bracts and fibers in the expansion tissue.
Distribution	Found in a wider distribution across the Brazilian states of Goiás, Minas Gerais, and Brasília.	A microendemic species restricted to a small region near the town of Diamantina in Minas Gerais, Brazil.

 

 

 

[Hu Palmeras]

Phillippe, my friend, this Butia is different. Its leaves look more tropical. Like Livistona rotundifolia. I'd never seen it before. It's very different and unique.

[5am]

I received my order today. Thank you, Philippe. 

[MobileBayGarden]

On 8/28/2025 at 4:11 PM, 5am said:

I received my order today. Thank you, Philippe. 

You are very welcome my friend. Have a great holiday weekend!

[guillerman]

Made it, thanks for the insights and the plus gift that came with it.

Looking forward to connect in the future.  Abrazo!

[Hu Palmeras]

Genetic analysis shows that Butia and Jubaea are siblings, members of the Cocoseae family.

[Jeff zone 8 N.C.]

Have ordered twice. Good communication, quick ship and nice seeds. Thanks Philippe!

[Old Rusty Stuff]

Hi, any more mule palm seeds available?

[MobileBayGarden]

On 9/4/2025 at 7:54 PM, Jeff zone 8 N.C. said:

Have ordered twice. Good communication, quick ship and nice seeds. Thanks Philippe!

Thank you so much! School is kicking my butt now at the moment, but please let me know if you need anything at all. 
 

Philippe

[elandybarr]

I can also vouch for amazing seeds that I received! Thank you so much!

[MobileBayGarden]

19 hours ago, elandybarr said:

I can also vouch for amazing seeds that I received! Thank you so much!

🙏 Thank you!