Butia capitata – Jelly Palm / Pindo Palm

Name: Butia capitata – Jelly Palm / Pindo Palm
Brand: Evergreen Trees Direct
Price: 4100.00 AUD
Availability: InStock

$4,100.00

Tax included. Shipping calculated at checkout.

1000 in stock

Size: 300L

300L

Current Stock Height Guides

300L: Enquire within for height guide information.

Trade Customers

We supply advanced trees to landscapers, developers, architects, and councils Australia-wide. Trade clients receive fast quotes, expert advice, and access to premium stock with reliable freight.

About Butia capitata – Jelly Palm / Pindo Palm

Butia capitata, also known as the Jelly Palm or Pindo Palm, is a hardy, medium-sized palm recognised for its arching, blue-grey, feather-like fronds. The trunk is stout and patterned with old leaf bases, supporting a crown of 30–40 long, graceful leaves. In summer, it produces branched inflorescences with small yellow to cream flowers, followed by clusters of orange-yellow fruits that are edible and often used for preserves. Mature specimens usually grow 4–6 metres tall with a canopy spread of 3–4 metres.

This palm is slow to moderate growing and well suited to a variety of climates, tolerating both heat and light frost. It is highly drought tolerant once established and adapts to sandy or well-drained soils. Butia capitata thrives in full sun but will also tolerate part shade during its juvenile years. Evergreen and low-maintenance, it requires little beyond occasional removal of old fronds and seed stalks.

They look excellent when planted as feature palms in gardens, grouped in clusters for a subtropical effect, or positioned in civic landscapes, avenues, and open lawns. Their compact size and attractive blue-grey foliage also make them suitable for poolside planting and resort-style landscapes.

Key Information to Know

Evergreen / Deciduous

Butia capitata – Jelly Palm / Pindo Palm is an Evergreen (foliage year round) Tree

Mature Height & Width

Mature Height: 4–6 metres

Mature Width: 3–4 metres

Butia capitata – Jelly Palm / Pindo Palm is expected to grow 10 – 20 cm per year (slow) Frost.

Frost Tolerance

Is Butia capitata – Jelly Palm / Pindo Palm frost tolerant?

Butia capitata – Jelly Palm / Pindo Palm is Frost Tolerant – Can handle light to moderate frost once established.

Flowering Information

Butia capitata produces large, arching sprays of fragrant yellow to cream flowers in late spring and summer. These showy inflorescences sit beneath the graceful blue-green fronds and are followed by clusters of edible orange-yellow fruit, adding seasonal interest.

Native Information

Is Butia capitata – Jelly Palm / Pindo Palm an Australian Native? No

Butia capitata – Jelly Palm / Pindo Palm is Native to South America, particularly Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina, where it grows in open grasslands and dry savannahs.

Wildlife Value

Its flowers attract bees and other pollinating insects, while the fleshy fruit provides food for birds and wildlife. The arching fronds also offer shelter and roosting space for small birds, contributing to a biodiverse and resilient garden ecosystem.

Sunlight Information

Butia capitata – Jelly Palm / Pindo Palm will thrive best in:

Full Sun
Part Shade

Preffered Soil

Butia capitata performs best in well-drained sandy or loam soils and prefers slightly acidic to neutral conditions. It is sensitive to poor drainage and may struggle in heavy clay unless significantly improved with organic matter and coarse material to enhance aeration. Keep soil evenly moist during establishment, then transition to deep, occasional watering as the palm matures and develops excellent drought resilience.

Botanical Information

Common Name: Jelly Palm / Pindo Palm

Genus: Butia

Botanical Species: Butia capitata

Family: Arecaceae

Botanical Name: Butia capitata

Landscape Uses

Feature Tree
Avenue Planting
Council or Civic Landscapes

Butia capitata – Jelly Palm / Pindo Palm works in an:

Mediterranean Style Garden – timeless courtyard look with stone, pots, and bold greenery.
Coastal Garden – relaxed, seaside feel with hardy, textural plants.
Tropical Garden – lush, leafy planting for a resort-style atmosphere.
Modern Garden – sleek, minimal, and design-led planting.
Edible Garden – integrates fruit, herbs, and productive plants.

Planting, Spacing & Care

Choose a sunny position with free-draining soil.
Dig a hole twice the width of the root ball and slightly shallower.
Backfill with improved soil and water deeply.
Apply mulch around the base, keeping away from the trunk.
Stake if necessary when young in exposed sites.

Feature Planting: Space 3 – 4 m apart
Shade Canopy: Space 3 – 4 m apart
Avenue Planting: Space 4 – 5 m apart

Water regularly during establishment, then reduce to occasional deep watering.
Apply palm fertiliser in spring and summer.
Remove old fronds and fruit stalks to maintain a tidy crown.

Sandy soils: Performs well, especially in coastal or dry conditions.
Loamy soils: Ideal for steady growth and healthy canopy.
Clay soils: Requires improved drainage; avoid prolonged wet conditions.
Coastal soils: Handles salt exposure and coastal winds well.
Poor soils: Survives with little input but benefits from organic matter.

Butia capitata – Jelly Palm / Pindo Palm is expected to grow 10 – 20 cm per year (slow) Frost.

Slow Growth Rate

Root Ball Dimensions (Width × Depth) For Planting

Use this as a reference when digging your planting hole. We recommend digging at least 10% wider than the dimensions below to encourage strong root development.

30cm Pot: 33cm (W) × 30cm (D)
40cm/45L Pot: 44cm (W) × 41.5cm (D)
50cm Pot / 70L Pot: 55cm (W) × 41.8cm (D)
100L Bag: 50.6cm (W) × 52.8cm (D)
150L Bag: 66cm (W) × 55cm (D)
200L Bag: 71.5cm (W) × 60.5cm (D)
300L Bag: 88cm (W) × 63.8cm (D)
400L Bag: 99cm (W) × 66cm (D)
500L Bag: 122cm (W) × 66cm (D)
750L Bag: 134cm (W) × 69cm (D)
1000L Bag: 146.3cm (W) × 71.5cm (D)
2000L Bag: 176cm (W) × 82.5cm (D)

Ideal Conditions

Tropical QLD (Cairns, Townsville)
Subtropical QLD (Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast)
Northern NSW (Byron, Coffs, Armidale)
Sydney & Central Coast
South Coast NSW (Illawarra to Bega)
Inland NSW / Tablelands (Orange, Bathurst, Canberra)
Melbourne & Surrounds (Metro, Bayside, Geelong, Bellarine, Mornington)
Western District & Central VIC (Ballarat, Bendigo, Hamilton)
Adelaide Hills & Barossa
Adelaide Metro & Coastal

Thrives in

Full Sun
Part Shade

Frost Tolerance

Frost Tolerant – Can handle light to moderate frost once established.

Drought Tolerance

As a young plant it requires regular watering, but once established Butia capitata develops strong drought tolerance. It thrives in hot, dry conditions and coastal environments, maintaining its robust trunk and elegant fronds with minimal supplementary watering.