Butia eriospatha - Wollige boomvaren

Suited for European climates

The fastest growing and hardiest Butia, this beautiful feather palm is native to areas of Southern Brazil at elevations of 1000 m above sea level. Here it is much colder and wetter in winter than the rest of Brazil, and even in summer temperatures can often be similar to those seen in Northern Europe.

It is a mystery to me why this palm is not the most popular choice for Northern European gardens, as it is undoubtedly the best suited to our cool and wet climate. It is very frost resistant, and established good-sized plants have been known to survive -12C, or even to recover from lower temperatures when damaged! However, protection during such spells of cold is highly recommended.

The tree is named because of the brown, fuzzy tomentum covering the flower spathe. It can reach 6m high in the wild, and almost certainly more in cultivation. It can be found growing both in the wild and in cultivation throughout all the mountainous areas of South Brazil, where it is cultivated for its sweet and delicious fruits.