When we elected some years ago, to place a palm tree on the northern side of the house, I took to doing a great deal of research into which variety we should choose. Proportion, colour & form of fronds & trunk were all important and I finally settled on the butia capitata for its greyish tinge, feathery form and the fact that it doesn’t get tooooo tall: I felt it would be in good keeping with the diminutive proportions and style of the original stone house.
I hadn’t much factored in the fruit it produces each year. And I must admit, that too often, the small fruit fall to the ground or are eaten by birds. The fruit are quite tart, though a little like an apricot. I’ve decided this year to tackle them and last night picked a handful to cook in a slightly sugary syrup til they were soft & wrinkled (inspired by glazed loquats at a recent HHT Dinner). They were delicious! If anyone has any inspired suggestions – do please let me know!
Fruits of the Jelly Wine Palm (butia capitata)…
