PINDO PALM

(Butia capitata)

A tree of pindo palm

Family: Arecaceae

Synonyms: Butia nehringiana

Other names: Jelly palm

Pindo palm, which bears edible fruits that have been rated as extraordinarily tasty by some connoisseurs of fruits, is originally from Argentine and Brazilian pampas.  It has now reached many other parts of the world too.  It is now being grown in many countries as an ornamental plant.

Description:

A single stemmed palm, upto 8 m tall, spread 3-5 m, trunk erect, 20-30 cm wide, covered with persistent leaf bases.

            Leaves pinnate, 11-20 concurrently, sheath and petiole indistinct, rachis arching, 80-170 cm long; there are 80-170 pinnae on each side, uniformly distributed, arranged obliquely, forming a v cross section.

An inflorescence of pindo palm

             Inflorescences interfoliar, branched, with about 100 rachis; flowers showy.

            Fruit a drupe, round, 1.5 to 3 cm wide, yellow to orange in colour, mesocarp fleshy and fibrous.

Utilization:

The fruits are sweet and very aromatic with the flavour of apricots.  These are eaten raw.  The only negative point, however, is the presence of fibre in the pulp. They can also be made into jellies, jams, pies, cakes and even wines.  

Pindo palm fruits

The seeds of this fruit are oily and contains up to 45% of an edible oil.  The oil is used mainly for margarines.  The pith of the stem can be made into a bread but this is not always advisable as many times the tree dies in the process of taking out the pith.

Cultivation:

Pindo palm makes beautiful ornamentals.  It can grow just about anywhere provided the soil is not water logged.  This plant will need abundant room to spread and therefore should not be planted close to each other.  It is a very cold hardy plant and will tolerate a temperature upto -10 C.  However, it must be planted at locations getting full sunlight.

            Propagation is by seed.  The seeds take 3-4 months to germinate. However, young palms are often found under palms that have been allowed to produce fruit. It is not unusual to see offspring growing in the old leaf boots of a mature tree.  These plants can also be utilized.

            Pindo palm is a very prolific bearer.  This can also be a nuisance, as ripening fruit attracts wasps and other insects.