Butia Odorata Ecotypes and PNW Feather Palms

[PNWPalmSeeker]

I am convinced that local ecotypes of collected seeds can have a huge effect on the cold/wet hardiness of palms. I live in the Puget Sound of the PNW, near Seattle (Zone 9a), and butia odorata seems almost within reach for us. The main issue with growing this species here is the spear rot from our wet, cold winters. I am unsure where most of the US butia odorata seed is sourced from, but I am very interested in obtaining seed from the wet, cold areas of its native range, specifically the southern coast of Uruguay.  Uruguay seems to have few weather stations, but they do tend to show a trend where further south means a lower average temperature in wintertime, with influences from the Atlantic coast. 

 

Uruguay's SE Seaboard is lined with saline marshes, and with preliminary research, the Laguna de Castillos may be an excellent place to collect B. Odorata seed that is well adapted to mild, humid, and waterlogged conditions, all of which are major issues for growing any feather palms here in the PNW.

I would love to hear if y'all had any opinions on B. Odorata ecotypes and/or collection locations, I don't want it to seem like I am very knowledgable in this field, I just want to see feather palms lining the Puget Sound coast in my lifetime; I also hope to be doing something similar to this with Jubaea Chilenses, the other obvious feather palm candidate for the PNW. Imagine hybridizing these two palm species only from the most PNW bulletproof ecotypes.

[Banana Belt]

Contact @matthedlund.  He has extinsive knowledge about Butia and other palms in your area.  He may also be able to provide you seeds or Butia palms.

[PNWPalmSeeker]

Hey, thanks for the heads up! 

[JohnAndSancho]

@MobileBayGarden has a for sale listing with some collected from native habitat. Got some rare ones too. 

[Moe Exotic]

Rooting for you over here. We need more feather palms in the PNW. From the little I’ve observed I’ve seen butias sustain more severe leaf damage(especially in newest growth) but higher mortality in jubaeas. 

[Las Palmas Norte]

I know there's a good sized Butia flowering and fruiting in Victoria, BC and I recall another in Bremerton WA some years ago. That one was a regular feature on the old Cloudforest Cafe forum.

[Banana Belt]

@Moe Exotic  It is said for many endeavors that "Timing is everything".  This I believe is also true for growing palms in the NW, considering the rough and cold winters of last 7 years.  Many palms have suffered and many died during the cold Arctic blasts, and this has discouraged many people in their planting and caring for their baby palms.  I experienced this during the early 1980's here in Brookings, OR, where on a newly purchased plot of land I planted 3 Queens, 2 CIDP's, and a Washington Fan palm.  In early 1983 we got an arctic blast with 10 foot snow drifts and 2 weeks in single and below 20 degrees.  All my palms died.  Discouraging yes, sad absolutely but we did not give up instead we planted two jubaea and 1 Queen which we cared for and covered during a few more cold winters in the mid 1980's until 1988 when the cold cycle was over.  

We had a few more cold periods in the 1990's, not as severe but by then the palms had grown and were better adapted.  By 2000 all our palms were well on their way to adulthood and capable of handling any cold snaps hitting them.  

We all learn from our experiences and especially our mistakes, but don't give up instead use those experiences and mistakes as a platform to make and grow something better that gives great joy later in life. 

[Chester B]

My biggest Butia odorata in Portland flowered every year and I had lot of volunteers popping up.  There are fruiting ones in Salem as well that I know of.

it has never damaged by cold.  Planted in August 2016.  Photo from Dec 2023.  Around 14' tall and 16' wide with about 6' of trunk.

[matthedlund]

On 10/17/2025 at 9:44 PM, PNWPalmSeeker said:

Hey, thanks for the heads up! 

There's a bunch in Seattle and the surrounding area, you just have to know where to look. I'm in West Seattle and have had great luck growing Butia, as well as a whole bunch of other palms, for the last 10 years. There are definitely genetics at play for hardiness, but proper siting is just as important. I recommend really good drainage and either half day sun under high evergreen canopy or a good western exposure which will prevent sunburn during our uncommon events with below freezing daytime temperatures.

[tarnado]

On 10/25/2025 at 7:06 PM, matthedlund said:

I recommend really good drainage

@matthedlund - how much drainage is "really good drainage?" asking for a friend (me)

[tarnado]

On 10/17/2025 at 2:49 PM, PNWPalmSeeker said:

I just want to see feather palms lining the Puget Sound coast in my lifetime; I also hope to be doing something similar to this with Jubaea Chilenses, the other obvious feather palm candidate for the PNW. Imagine hybridizing these two palm species only from the most PNW bulletproof ecotypes

THIS IS THE WAY

I also think the introcession of genetics from Parajubaea for (cool moisture tolerance) might also have potential for a cassette of traits that, combined, would be very useful. 

Problem 1) sourcing reliable genetic material

Some Butia and some Jubaea are big enough and old enough to prove themselves in the PNW climate, or near it. The Jubaea, especially, take a long time to sexually mature! Other potential source would be mature palms in Chile, or, as you mentioned, B. oderata palms at the furthest limits of its tolerance.

Problem 2) combining genetic material

Hybridizing the palms - need mature individuals to cross, so that some fraction of viable seed can be generated. This is where pollen sourced from mature individuals at the most extreme ends of the range can jump-start some genetic advances.

Problem 3) distributing and testing genetic material

The thing about mixing up a bunch of potential genotypes is - the more possibilities, the more growing specimens, the better the chances become of getting a successful outcome. That's why being part of IPS and the palmtalk forum is important, of course.

Problem 4) propagation

Cloning bombproof specimen palms *is possible* using meristem tissue. However, the process is not foolproof and might result in the death of the donor tree, which - given the amount of time involved and how awesome these trees are - necessarily makes it a difficult decision for any individual tree owner.

[tarnado]

On 10/17/2025 at 2:49 PM, PNWPalmSeeker said:

I would love to hear if y'all had any opinions on B. Odorata ecotypes and/or collection locations

Okay! Sometimes I like to pop onto iNaturalist to find collection location potentials for native plants and such. So I thought I would do the same for Butia... and lo, I found a B. odorata located near General Pico and also Necochea, Argentina.

General Pico is in the Pampas, so has warmer summers but has damp, cool winters. The weather history for General Pico also includes many sub-freezing events. But they have palms in the center of a major boulevard and also just popping up around the city.

 

Not sure of these palms in this second image, except that yes, they are palms...

 

Necochea has a much more maritime, cool and wet climate with cooler summers but less severe freeze events. There was a single Butia odorata palm ID'ed in iNaturalist outside of town,

visible in the Google maps aerial view: 

However, the street view map doesn't get anywere close to this location in the countryside. So I thought: I'll just drop in to Necochea randomly and see what I see. Bam. Feathery palm.

and directly across the street, peekaboo

and another totally random location, with what appear to be very large and happy Trachycarpus fortunei palms? 

[tarnado]

@PNWPalmSeeker You inspired me, in my free time, into google street view in various Argentine and Chilean towns to see if I can see any palm trees. I am bad at IDing different species of palms, as I rarely get any practice. However, I tried to divide the palms I found into different subfamilies (Cocoseae for Jubaea and Butia palms, Coryphoidaea for Phoenix, Trachycarpus, and Washingtonia palms - again, with a HUGE pinch of salt). I'd appreciate if anyone wanted to take a look and see if I am way off here: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1AcsroEwtRufjKdA5O_Hd7F-pDVTQB6g&usp=sharing

I found some interesting palms all the way to 45 degrees S so far. Argentine towns on the coast seem to really like planting palm trees around... but the Patagonian coast gets pretty darn dry (but with winter moisture profile) as one goes south. Anyhow, I hope someone takes a gander.