Butia is an exotic palm tree native to South America from Brazil and Uruguay. This plant belongs to the Palm family. The palm is single and slow growing, large in size. It has a gray trunk and tough feathery leaves. As palm leaves grow, they die off, so you can see clearly visible remains on the trunk.
The most common type is butia capitate - palm tree, which received this name due to a noticeable thickening at the base of the stem. The leaves resemble an arc in shape, are located on long petioles, the length of each leaf reaches 2-4 m. On each arcuate leaf there are 80-100 pairs of xiphoid lobes, long and narrow. The length of each lobe is about 75 cm, the color is green with a shade of gray, the underside is slightly lighter. In a young plant, the leaves are covered with a felt surface, which eventually turns into thorns.
As the palm grows, the lower leaves will die off - this is a natural process, and a characteristic petiole will remain in place of the leaf, which will further give an unusual texture to the palm trunk. Butia blooms in the form of red flowers, collected in inflorescences about 1.4 m long. On one inflorescence are collected flowers of different sexes - male and female.
The ripe fruit is presented in the form of a drupe. The fruit is edible, with a wonderful aroma, juicy pulp, sweet and sour taste. Drupes are collected in brushes. The second name of the boutique is the jelly palm, since its fruits are used to make a wonderful jelly for dessert. The seed shell is very hard, inside the fruit is divided into three chambers.
Most types of boutiques can easily be crossed with each other, so today you can often find hybrids rather than pure varieties.
Caring for the butia palm tree at home
Location and lighting
Butea will feel as comfortable as possible under bright direct sunlight. In this case, the plant will have a lush crown, and the color of the leaves will be with a bluish tint. If the butia palm tree grows in partial shade, then the leaves will become elongated, thin, of the usual green color without a shade.
Temperature
Butia is kept in spring and summer at an average air temperature of 20-25 degrees. In winter, the palm tree is kept at a much lower temperature - about 12-14 degrees, but not lower than 10 degrees. Butea needs fresh air, so the room with a palm tree is regularly ventilated.
Air humidity
Air humidity for growing a boutique palm should be moderate. In dry air conditions, especially during the heating season, the tips of the leaves of the boutique begin to dry out. To avoid this, the leaves should be sprayed with warm water every day. It will not be superfluous to use an indoor humidifier.
Watering
Watering the boutique should be abundant, but not too intense, since the palm tree is afraid of stagnant water in the pot. In winter, watering is significantly reduced due to low air temperatures. But it is important not to allow excessive drying of the soil. If the palm tree stays in dry ground for a long time, then its leaves will dry out and will no longer recover.
The soil
The soil for planting a palm tree should be well water and air permeable, slightly acidic - pH 5-6. The substrate is mixed from turf, leafy soil and coarse sand in a ratio of 3: 3: 1. Ready-to-use palm substrate, which can be purchased from flower shops, is also suitable. The bottom of the pot must contain a good drainage layer.
Top dressing and fertilizers
From March to September, the butia palm needs regular fertilization. The frequency of feeding is once every 2 weeks. A complex fertilizer is suitable for decorative deciduous plants or palms.
Transfer
The palm tree does not react well to transplantation, so it should be carried out no more than once every 4 years by the transshipment method, so as not to disturb and injure the roots once again. The topsoil must be renewed annually.
Reproduction of palms of boutiques
Reproduction of butias occurs in the only way - with the help of seeds. Before planting in the ground, the seeds are left to swell in warm water for 24 hours. It is not necessary to deeply deepen them into the ground, a layer equal to 1.5 of the grain diameter is sufficient. The container with seeds must be constantly kept at a high temperature - about 26-28 degrees. It is important to keep the soil moist. The first shoots can be observed in 2-3 months. But it happens that this period is delayed up to one year. Seedlings are planted in separate pots after 4-5 months.
Diseases and pests
Spider mites, thrips, and scale insects are often found among the pests of the butia.
