The fascinating cold hardiness of this genus:

[Alberto]

The Butia genus is one of the most fantastic palms regarding cold hardiness of the different species. ( Sabal and some Livistona also are in this category). There are in southern Brazil several butia species:  microspadix ( in my municipality), eriospatha ( neighbour municipalities), odorata, catarinensis, paraguayensis, yatay, etc. Butia catarinensis grows on dunes near the see, specially in Santa Catarina and part of Paraná, in a cool/fresh winter climate, but frost-free. On the other hand, palms like Butia purpurascens, B. capitata and Butia archeri , from steamy hot tropical climates of Central brazilian states: Mato Grosso and Goiás ( Jataí: municipality, latitude -17.8759, long. -51.721417 Altitude 731 meters)  I grow here in my cool/cold winters subtropical climate (at 1030 m altitude , latitude -24⁰ 94' 97" south)  this tropical species with succes until now.  ( first pic: B. purpurascens) Other species follow in the "replies"

[Alberto]

More Butia purpurascens

 

[Alberto]

Butia paraguayensis ( from Mato Grosso do Sul)

[Alberto]

Butia catarinensis

[Alberto]

Butia archeri 

[Alberto]

Butia sp Nova, municipality of Paranapanema , São Paulo state

[Alberto]

Butia pubispatha from the slightly warmer climate ,(but similar to my climate) municipality of Jaguariaíva, in Paraná

[Jeff zone 8 N.C.]

I love Butia.  That is a fantastic collection you have Alberto. Here we have many Butia but all are nursery grown with no identification other than "Butia" or "Pindo". Most are grown from Florida seeds that have existed there for years and have long since lost their true origins or species name and have hybridized. It's so nice of you to show what the true species look like. Thank you for posting the pictures along with the information.

[Brad Mondel]

My favorite palm genus. Thank you for sharing. How cold does it get where odorata is from? 

[OC2Texaspalmlvr]

Awesome collection of Butia @Alberto I have to ask what palm is behind  your Archeri ? 

T J 

[SeanK]

The common variety grown in the US (odorata?), is cold-hardy to -10°C when dry. Below that, we begin to see leaf spotting - small dots where cell damage has occurred. They don't tolerate freezing precipitation in the bud. Even a freezing rain at 0°C causes extensive damage -up to fatality. 

We saw between -14° to -15° (C) here in December. Sabal palmetto 50% leaf burn. The jelly palms are 100% burned with NO sign of recovery.

[Alberto]

13 hours ago, Brad Mondel said:

My favorite palm genus. Thank you for sharing. How cold does it get where odorata is from? 

 

[Alberto]

13 hours ago, OC2Texaspalmlvr said:

Awesome collection of Butia @Alberto I have to ask what palm is behind  your Archeri ? 

T J 

A Trachycarpus hybrid: T. nanus x T. fortunei Winsan and a Dypsis decipiens

[Phoenikakias]

Why have you not mentioned also Florianopolis?

[Alberto]

21 minutes ago, Phoenikakias said:

Why have you not mentioned also Florianopolis?

I have a Butia sp Florianópolis. Not sure if it' s not a variety of Butia catarinensis. The round fruits and more " strictior" leaves makes it a distinctive palm....

[Alberto]

16 hours ago, Brad Mondel said:

My favorite palm genus. Thank you for sharing. How cold does it get where odorata is from? 

One of the habitats of Butia odorata is the "pampa". I found this: "The average temperatures of the pampa are around 15 and 18 degrees Celsius, with maximums reaching 38 degrees and minimums -10 degrees Celsius. These climatic characteristics exist due to the presence of air masses that come from the Tropical Continental and Atlantic areas and also from the poles."

[OC2Texaspalmlvr]

2 hours ago, Alberto said:

Dypsis decipiens

Can we see a full pic of it , don't want to hijack the purpose of the thread, but it looks Epic !

T J 

[Alberto]

46 minutes ago, OC2Texaspalmlvr said:

Can we see a full pic of it , don't want to hijack the purpose of the thread, but it looks Epic !

T J 

It' s this one

[OC2Texaspalmlvr]

On 5/29/2023 at 2:24 PM, Alberto said:

It' s this one

Stunning 

[Alberto]

On 5/28/2023 at 11:32 PM, SeanK said:

The common variety grown in the US (odorata?), is cold-hardy to -10°C when dry. Below that, we begin to see leaf spotting - small dots where cell damage has occurred. They don't tolerate freezing precipitation in the bud. Even a freezing rain at 0°C causes extensive damage -up to fatality. 

We saw between -14° to -15° (C) here in December. Sabal palmetto 50% leaf burn. The jelly palms are 100% burned with NO sign of recovery.

Butia eriospatha grows at lot higher altitudes in southern Brazil were it's colder. Do you know if it is hardier in your region of the States? ( ouch, glad I have not to fear for my Butias in freezes, specially the species from southern Brazil origin) Here a pic of some of my Butia eriospatha.

[Alberto]

On 5/29/2023 at 2:27 PM, Phoenikakias said:

Why have you not mentioned also Florianopolis?

Butia sp Florianópolis and B. yatay

[Alberto]

The real Butia capitata from central Brazil shows always a bit of signs of K defficiency:

[SeanK]

4 hours ago, Alberto said:

Butia eriospatha grows at lot higher altitudes in southern Brazil were it's colder. Do you know if it is hardier in your region of the States? ( ouch, glad I have not to fear for my Butias in freezes, specially the species from southern Brazil origin) Here a pic of some of my Butia eriospatha.

Nicest ones I've seen are below the fall line (Columbus, GA to Columbia, SC). Coastal AL, GA, and SC here in the US. Zone 8b and no frizzletop.

[SeanK]

@Alberto - Have you seen the Argentine (silver) Queen (Syagrus romanzoffiana) Palms? 

[Alberto]

50 minutes ago, SeanK said:

@Alberto - Have you seen the Argentine (silver) Queen (Syagrus romanzoffiana) Palms? 

Where? Here on the tablelands of southern Brazil the queen palm ( jerivá) sees a lot fresher climate in summer and with lower temperatures in winter then the lowlands of Argentina. ( circundated in red is southern Brazil. The brown collor are the Brazilian tablelands)