Palms For California

Pronunciation: BOO-tee-uh cap-ih-tah-tuh x jew-BAY-uh chill-EN-siss

Common Name:

Butia x Jubaea is an excellent hybrid palm for California showing some hybrid vigor- it has some improved humidity tolerance over at least the Jubaea parent, but with nearly the immense size of that parent. It is still a fairly rare palm for California and even seedlings can be a bit pricey. Seeds of these palms have an extremely low germination rate, but it is not a completely sterile hybrid, as a few seeds do manage to germinate under ideal circumstances.

Appearance and Biology Habit: solitary with a crown of 30-40 feather leaves Height: 50' estimate Trunk: 3'-4' diameter; either covered with leaf bases, or clean; clean trunks tend to have irregular leaf scars that are more prominent than those on Jubaea trunks Crownshaft: none Spread: 16'-20' Leaf Description: pinnate; 10'-12' long; grayish-green; markedly arching; very long and fairly stiff, upright leaflets; 'V'-shaped on cross section; overall shape similar to a Butia capitata leaf but larger Petiole/Leaf bases: 2' long; grey-green; armed along margins with closely spaced, somewhat blunt, brittle teeth that look more like serrations than teeth; un-split leaf bases, often retained on trunk, or at least upper trunk Reproduction: monoecious Inflorescence: 2' long with small branches Fruit: 2"; spherical or ovoid (varies from palm to palm); yellowy to orangish-yellow when ripe

Horticultural Characteristics Minimum Temp: 20F Drought Tolerance: good Dry Heat Tolerance: very good Wind Tolerance: good Salt Tolerance: unknown Growth Rate: slow Germination: very low, unpredictable and long (up to two years, and rates of nearly 0% in many cases). Soil Preference: widely adaptable Light Requirement: full sun Human Hazards: mildly 'toothed' petioles that could injure when pruning tree Disease or Horticultural Problems: none known Transplants?: unknown Indoor?: no Availability: very rare, but sometimes available through private resources or palm specialty nurseries