Butia capitata / Butia eriospatha

[redsquirrel]

It was at -9.2C in the mountains where Butia eriospatha grows last night. last year it got to around the same and was coldest for over 30 years, winter has hardly started there and already -9.2C , thats un heard of.
http://noticias.uol.com.br/album/2012/0 ... brefoto=87

do you think thats a follow on from our winter just gone or the start of our next one to come? pretty damning stuff going by what you have said about the climate there in the past

[Nigel]

Its a slightly alarming trend isnt it. Cold winters were common there 35 years ago, same as ours ,but they got much milder, same as ours did.

[greendragon]

Bringing this topic back from the dead to ask, who has the largest butia on htuk?

[HarryandNess]

We have a capitata and an eriospatha, both have been planted for over a year and both are doing well. The lowest temp we saw last winter was minus 14. Harry built a polycarb shelter over them so they were kept pretty dry. On the coldest nights we wrapped cheap duvets over the mounds they're planted on to protect the roots. So far so good...and they're gorgeous!

Ness

[Andy P]

We have a capitata and an eriospatha, both have been planted for over a year and both are doing well. The lowest temp we saw last winter was minus 14. Harry built a polycarb shelter over them so they were kept pretty dry. On the coldest nights we wrapped cheap duvets over the mounds they're planted on to protect the roots. So far so good...and they're gorgeous!

Ness

Do you have any pics of these palms after their minus 14? And the protection you gave them?? i`m thinking of getting an Eriospatha.

[HarryandNess]

Do you have any pics of these palms after their minus 14? And the protection you gave them?? i`m thinking of getting an Eriospatha.

Not a great picture, as you can see it was snowing at night but you can get the gist of the shelters: 4 legs with a wooden square screwed to the top of them. 4 more bits of wood from each corner up, to the middle, to make the pyramid shape. The pyramid was covered with polycarb triangles. When it snowed we put quilts around the roots and fleece around the legs to 'box' them in. The shelters were up for about 2 months but the quilt and fleece were only on for about a week. Then the odd very cold night.

Here's the butias today. This one (about 50 inches tall in total) had half a leaf (branch?) cut off recently after wind damage sent it all crispy. There were hardly any roots on it when we bought it but there's certainly new growth in the middle now.

This one (about 60 inches tall in total) has lots of new growth.

We're expecting them both to do well this year, all we need is some sunshine and warmth. Not long now hopefully

Ness

[greendragon]

Looks like Nigel has sold out of butias. :O
the price is listed as 0 and they cant be selected

[PTOC]

I bought a lovely Butia Capaitata from the palm center in Richmond. Cost £125 Bargain and a really good size

[Nigel]

Looks like Nigel has sold out of butias. :O
the price is listed as 0 and they cant be selected

The majority got damaged by the container delay. Some are better than others. Some bargains to be had if anybody wants to pm me privately.

[Andy P]

Cheers for that Harry and Ness. Great way of protecting them. It just goes to show how much cold Palms can take if kept dry.

[piechnik99]

Sorry to post to an old thread - I am looking at getting a Butia Capitata in the autumn sales - do they over winter well in a unheated greenhouse? I have overwintered Washingtonia Robusta without issue in the same greenhouse - from what I've read the Butia appear to be hardier? It can get pretty cold up here in chilly werrington during the darker months!

Thanks!

[piechnik99]

For the record I sit my washie pots on polystyrene squares (for root insulation), wrap the pots with bubble wrap, pack the crowns of the washies with straw and finally wrapping a bit of fleece around the leaves.....

Would the same sought of protection fot the Butia Capitata be ok?

[Half Hardy]

In a word,yes,they should be fine, undercover. I have overwintered a B.capitata(now called odorata) a young eriospatha(now planted out) and a butia yatay,in an unheated tunnel,they all came through without any sign of damage.I know we get milder winters down here but it still got pretty cold the last two years.I really wouldn't advise wrapping them,if they are already undercover.You are much more likely to have problems with rot,than cold.

[Rob S]

i don't really know why but Butia is still a fairly rare plant in the UK, especially large ones of which very few exist! I find them very easy to grow albeit a little on the slow side but they can be incredibly hardy, mine was planted out as a small specimen in the late '90,s and now has over a metre of trunk and an overall height of 3metres, never had protection and only suffered superficial burn to the leaves on one occasion which was the winter before last! If only all the people who had planted the cheaper but faster growing Phoenix canariensis_CIDP's over the last decade, most of which have succumbed to a run of bad winters especially in my area, had planted Butia instead then i'm sure most would be alive now and growing into large handsome specimens!

[Rick1965]

I echo what Rob said. I also planted a Butia out in the 90's and have never protected it and it is doing fine.