Smallest palms w/ palatable fruit and 9a tolerance

[turpentyne]

I'm curious to see what people suggest. I've never been into palms, but it's time to mix up what I plant, in limited space. I'm looking for trees that stay under 6 meters / 15 feet.  And something that can tolerate a temperature range of 28 f / -3 c up to 120 f / 49 c.

But I'm not sure what options there are. I've never researched it. I know there's a pygmy date, but I've heard it's also not very tasty. That's all I'm aware of for shorter palms.

I'm sure there are a few that are edible... but I'd like it to be palatable as well!

[TonyinCC]

Pindo palm AKA jelly palm. I have seen them fruit at less than 10 feet of height. Even as it eventually gets larger you should be able to harvest fruit without much trouble. Usually made into a very tasty jelly. Fruit is fibrous but very palatable, you can gnaw on it to get some of the juice but it is really best used in making jelly. I think it is in the top 5 jelly fruits I have ever tasted. I saw lots of them in zone 8 in South Carolina at least as far as 60 miles inland in areas that got as low as 10 degrees F without damage when I lived there. I saw one fruiting in Wilmington NC. I also saw one in Washington DC once, not sure if they fruit that far North.  I don't know if there are any named cultivars. It will take the heat as well in areas like Phoenix.  I think it meets all your requirements. If my ornamental royal palm ever dies I will probably replace it with a Jelly palm. I see very few of them in SW Florida, they should be more widely planted here. Most people just plant ornamentals which I feel is a shame.

[850FL]

15ft and under:
Pindo palm and other butias- usually stay under 15ft, to 0F
Saw palmetto- 5 ft max, 0F, more medicinal for prostate health than anything


Over 15ft (you will have to plant these palms at angles and tie the new growth down to achieve a 15 ft height. May be difficult):
Judaean wine palm- to 80ft, to -5F, produces mini coconuts
Parajubaea palms- couple varieties that also produce coquitos (mini coconuts), to bout 50ft, takes to 15F

Medjool date palm- superior of any date palm fruit, to bout 50ft, 15F
All other date palms are actually edible (pygmy, Cretan, Indian, Senegal, canary, hybrids, etc) but fruit quality gets questionable lol

Syagrus (queen) palm- to what like 40ft?, hardy 15-20F. Also edible, sweet fruits apparently
Mule palm (syagrus x butia)- I’d assume this is also edible given the parents. I bet fruit tastes interesting- to maybe 30 ft or so, takes 10F

Acai edulis- 30ft, mid-upper 20s F. Produces Açaí berry

[Bush2Beach]

Butia eriospatha is wooly jelly palm , fruits without the stringiness of normal Jelly’s.

[turpentyne]

I took some time this weekend and researched to narrow down the rare unknowns... because, Covid.

This should be a good starting list of Palm species with edible fruit, generally under 6 meters or low-hanging fruit, prefer or tolerate drier environments and at least 30° F

I avoided trees with only edible apical bud, edible seeds, palm hearts and cabbage. Cabbage leaves don't interest me, and why kill a rare tree just to eat dinner? I also removed trees that required removal of stinging/poisonous parts. Then I eliminated a couple with too little flesh to matter.  Oh, and I also left out monocarpic trees. Because, that's just depressing: "Yay, fruit! Ah hell, my tree's dead"

This is still an incomplete list, and it doesn't account for heat tolerance or palatability. Feel free to add, clarify, comment, etcetera!


Aiphanes verrucosa - 5 meters - zone 9a - fruits eaten - understory tree - monoecious

Allogoptera arenaria 6 meters - 25° F. -  fruits cultivated in S. America. Tolerant of poor soil, but likes water. fruit - cool looking - monoecious

Allagoptera leucocalyx 1.5 meters, acaulescent - zone 9b - mesocarp & seed edible. 

Astrocaryum campestre - 2 meters, acaulescent - zone 9b - fruit eaten - savanah - spines - monoecious

Attalea allenii - 6 meters, acaulescent - nut edible. liquid from endosperm. - dioecious

Attalea phalerata - 5 meters trunk - 27° F - fruit, fibrous (fed to livestock, so may not be tasty) - dioecious

Brahea dulcis - 7.5 meters - zone 9 down to 25° F. - fruit sweet - monoecious

Butia capitata, cultivar bonetti - 6 meters - fruit (dwarfing cultivation) pineappleish flavor - 16° F. - drought tol. once established. - monoecious

Butia eriospatha - 20 ft, can grow taller but not often - zone 8b, 26° F confirmed -  fruits delicious - monoecious

Butia lallemantii - 1 meter, acaulescent - zone 9a - fruit edible - monoecious?

Chelyocarpus repens - fruit edible. little info.

Desmoncus orthacanthos - 5 meters - zone 9b-11 - fruit eaten - climbing - shade - spines - not considered attractive

Dypsis baronii - 3 meters - 28° F confirmed - leaves and fruit. ** reported growing in Phoenix - needs deep shade - monoecious

Guihaia argyrata - 1 meter -  24° F confirmed - Fruit eaten - difficult to germinate - Dioecious

Livistona humilis - 7 meters - possibly 30° F - fruits - dioecious

Nannorrhops ritchiana - 6 meters - 9a - arid regions - fruit edible - monoecious

Phoenix loureiroi - 5m. - 26° F confirmed - fruit sweet, mealy. - dioecious

Phoenix pusilla - 3 meters - 26° F confirmed - fruit eaten by kids -  drier regions.

Phytelephas macrocarpa - 12 meters, but semi-acaulescent & fruit borne low -  killed at 25° F - fruit, coffee substitute - spines  - dioecious.

Syyagrus campylospatha - 3 meters,acaulescent - 26° F - fruit delicious - savannah, sandy soil - leaf tips spiny - monoecious

Syagrus flexuosa - 4 meters - slightly sweet fruit - monoecious

Syagrus petraea - 1.5 meters, acaulescent - possibly light frost tolerant - fruit eaten - monoecious

Trithrinax campestris - 6 meters - 19° F or lower - fruits fermented for alcohol - monoecious

[vall]

Pindo palm does stay short, but it has a wide trunk and wingspan, in case that is important.  Excellent fruit however.