Edible Fruit Palm/Palms

[Fruitguy]

Beware the betel...

http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/04/world/asia/myanmar-betel-nut-cancer/index.html?hpt=hp_c3

[fruitlovers]

There's a bunch of different species of Butias and they are all edible. I'm also growing Butia yatay from northern Argentina. I think that might be one of the most cold hardy. I've not tasted them yet. Plants are quite slow growing, like the capitata. Yatay is the tallest of the Butias. I think there is a national park in Argentina called Yatay.

[LEOOEL]

Pindo Palm: The trick here is to find an adult (potted) fruit bearing palm, taste the fruit before buying, and having a great quality taste. Unfortunately, I expect such a 'Pindo Palm' specimen to be pricey.

I've had a couple conversations with a rare fruit guy here (N county san diego) about jelly palms. Dennis Sharmahd. He's done a lot of searching/researching and not had too much luck with Butia Capitata, but has found quite a few really nice Butia Eriospatha (wooly butia or woolly jelly palm). I think he's been crossing them for years or even decades. Says the flavor, size and fiber is much better than capitata. I agree regarding the couple fruits I've had. Sounds like the particular flavor isn't passed on to seedlings but overall quality is. Dennis has a small nursery and does ship out of state. You can PM me for his cell or e-mail (just his full name, no spaces, at gmail).

If I heard that someone (reliable/...safe and sound...) is selling mature, fruiting 'Pindo Palms' and are also offering tastings to serious customers, I would seriously consider doing just that, even if it's on the other side of the continent. I was traumatized by a web video showing some guy eating a juicy, quality 'Pindo Palm' fruit, and now I just gotta have it.

[nullzero]

Pindo Palm: The trick here is to find an adult (potted) fruit bearing palm, taste the fruit before buying, and having a great quality taste. Unfortunately, I expect such a 'Pindo Palm' specimen to be pricey.

I've had a couple conversations with a rare fruit guy here (N county san diego) about jelly palms. Dennis Sharmahd. He's done a lot of searching/researching and not had too much luck with Butia Capitata, but has found quite a few really nice Butia Eriospatha (wooly butia or woolly jelly palm). I think he's been crossing them for years or even decades. Says the flavor, size and fiber is much better than capitata. I agree regarding the couple fruits I've had. Sounds like the particular flavor isn't passed on to seedlings but overall quality is. Dennis has a small nursery and does ship out of state. You can PM me for his cell or e-mail (just his full name, no spaces, at gmail).

I have tasted the fruit in person (they were very tasty) and decided to buy a few seedlings in the past.

[shaneatwell]

Leooel, shoot him an email. End of fruiting season right now and they should survive shipping. Doubt he has mature trees for sale though.

[LEOOEL]

Now I'm more traumatized. 

[Recher]

unreported in the literature the kernel of Butia eriospatha tastes exactly like coconut . I would think other species of Butia the same

[Michiganian]

I've never looked into growing any sort of palm, but you guys got me curious. The fruit looks amazing (as in, I'm gonna have to try some)! I happen to like eating heart of palm (veggie). For those curious, the Discovery channel did a "how it's made" on heart of palm here: http://science.discovery.com/tv-shows/how-its-made/videos/how-its-made-heart-of-palm.htm

[shaneatwell]

unreported in the literature the kernel of Butia eriospatha tastes exactly like coconut . I would think other species of Butia the same

Thats interesting. Dennis mentioned that he had some fruits that tasted like coconut, but I think he was talking about the flesh.

[LEOOEL]

I've never looked into growing any sort of palm, but you guys got me curious. The fruit looks amazing (as in, I'm gonna have to try some)! I happen to like eating heart of palm (veggie). For those curious, the Discovery channel did a "how it's made" on heart of palm here: http://science.discovery.com/tv-shows/how-its-made/videos/how-its-made-heart-of-palm.htm

Two things that turn me off about edible fruit palms:

(1) Consumption of the Heart of Palms will kill the palms themselves. I don't have much experience with this but, I'm sure the palms will take a long time to grow. So, I guess it would be fair to say that people who consume heart of Palms are palm killers. How ironic, I'm a carnivore whose more worried about killing palms, interesting. I'm not sure that Heart of Palm can be considered an edible fruit palm, unless you consider the whole palm a fruit, which is fine by me.

(2) There seems to be limited general knowledge on edible fruit palms. This may be a perfect opportunity for someone to fill several acres full of different species of just edible fruit palms. This may be a perfect business opportunity for a startup, since this specific industry niche is virgin territory. I know of no one/nursery in my S. Florida, USA, area that is doing anything like this.

[fruitlovers]

I've never looked into growing any sort of palm, but you guys got me curious. The fruit looks amazing (as in, I'm gonna have to try some)! I happen to like eating heart of palm (veggie). For those curious, the Discovery channel did a "how it's made" on heart of palm here: http://science.discovery.com/tv-shows/how-its-made/videos/how-its-made-heart-of-palm.htm

Two things that turn me off about edible fruit palms:

(1) Consumption of the Heart of Palms will kill the palms themselves. I don't have much experience with this but, I'm sure the palms will take a long time to grow. So, I guess it would be fair to say that people who consume heart of Palms are palm killers. How ironic, I'm a carnivore whose more worried about killing palms, interesting. I'm not sure that Heart of Palm can be considered an edible fruit palm, unless you consider the whole palm a fruit, which is fine by me.

(2) There seems to be limited general knowledge on edible fruit palms. This may be a perfect opportunity for someone to fill several acres full of different species of just edible fruit palms. This may be a perfect business opportunity for a startup, since this specific industry niche is virgin territory. I know of no one/nursery in my S. Florida, USA, area that is doing anything like this.

That is only true of certain species. Other species, for example, peach palm (Bactris gasipaes) is a clumping palm, so you cut one palm for the heart and the side shoots continue growing...similar to bananas. You don't really kill the whole plant. With solitary non clumping palms the whole plant is killed. Many species are used for hearts of palm.
There is plenty of knowledge on edible palms. It's just hard to access right now because it's in a lot of different places, and some in foreign languages. It would be great to have a book in english just on edible palms. I think that is what is needed to get more people growing them.

[LEOOEL]

I did not know that the heart of the Peach Palm was also edible, now that is a 'Super Duper Edible Palm/Palms' in my book. If I can find this palm at my location, I think I'm purchasing it.

Yes, I also wish there were some extensive english book also, about edible fruit palms. In the mean time, we'll have to take on this job ourselves in this Thread (humbly speaking) and in this Forum, where progress on this has been definitely been made, in my opinion. I have very little to no interest in Palms that are not edible, although I'm aware and do appreciate the beauty of some palms like 'Royal Palms' and other palms that produce extremely bright red un-edible fruit.

[fruitlovers]

I did not know that the heart of the Peach Palm was also edible, now that is a 'Super Duper Edible Palm/Palms' in my book. If I can find this palm at my location, I think I'm purchasing it.

Yes, I also wish there were some extensive english book also, about edible fruit palms. In the mean time, we'll have to take on this job ourselves in this Thread (humbly speaking) and in this Forum, where progress on this has been definitely been made, in my opinion. I have very little to no interest in Palms that are not edible, although I'm aware and do appreciate the beauty of some palms like 'Royal Palms' and other palms that produce extremely bright red un-edible fruit.

The peach palm is the main palm here used for hearts of palm.  There is one book in English that would be helpful to you called Palms for Development, all about edible and useful palms. It's in a CD format. You can buy it here. It's in english and 168 pages, by Franklin Martin:
http://www.echobooks.org/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=60

[LEOOEL]

That seems to be a good CD about palms, thanks.

My favorite fruit palms are of course the ones that I can grow in my area, those that are fast growers, produce fruit quick, reliably, year after year and taste just great.

[LEOOEL]

(Borrowing a quote from Dongeorgio)

"Gentlemen,"

Some technologies are made for one another. And, when you put them together in a way that works, it's called innovation. (stay with me)

For example, the 'Pindo Palm' has been mentioned on this Forum that the fruit quality can vary from one plant to another in similar conditions. If everything is the same, the only culprit left to blame is 'genetics.' Which is no surprise, we're all aware that when plants Are Not propagated by a grafting method, we are essentially rolling the 'genetic' dice.

Now, if this is the general case, that the quality of all edible fruit palm trees vary from one palm tree to another, how do we fix this 'problem.' Since I've never heard of anyone grafting or air-layering an edible fruit palm, I'm going to assume that it's impossible.

So, what are we left with, other than: "I have an excellent quality edible fruit palm tree, that I'm most likely to never see such quality again when it dies."

Well, my solution is, why not clone the darn thing. I mean how hard could it be. Full disclosure, I haven't yet looked into cloning excellent palm trees that are of excellent quality, but just you wait. If this were feasible and someone were doing something like this, there would probably be a long line of people waiting to buy those edible fruit palms of superior intellect  and I'd be one of them (people in line that is).

[nullzero]

With peach palm, should be able to propagate by division. Since its a clumping palm. Btw, Peach palm seeds are starting to germinate now .

[LEOOEL]

That is great news, best of luck with them.

[nullzero]

That is great news, best of luck with them.

The seedlings have been sitting on the heating mat for the last month, I decided to take them off because nothing was happening. Its been 4 months or so in a damp Sphagnum moss (the none shredded), coco coir, and perlite mix. I put the seedlings under my desk near the computer for the last 2 weeks. I am happy to report multiple seedlings are pushing white root nubs now.

[micah]

Here's one more edible palm fruit...first harvest I picked it too young though..this is just one part of the fruit..Yarina palm...phytelephas macrocarpa ...clumping seems to be trunk less so far...young fruit water drinkable ( like coco). When older soft inside like soft coco meat, then when mature its solid (vegetable ivory) and used for carving ornamentals.  Likes shade...male/female plants.
Aloha!

[fruitlovers]

Micah, and everyone else, when you post photos on postimage please select for photo to be accesible in original size, otherwise cannot blow up your photo when clicking on tiny thumbnail photo.

[micah]

[micah]

Mahalo Oscar!!!

[LEOOEL]

I've never seen anything like it. I'm getting thoughts of wanting to taste it. I'm also wondering if there are palms with similar but bigger fruit. Thank you for your postings, Hawaii is surely an incredible fruit tree place.

[fruitlovers]

I've got growing the other type of ivory nut: Metroxylon carolinensis. But don't know if that one is edible? It hasn't fruited yet.

[Doglips]

Salak is a very wonderful fruit, certainly one of top 5 of edible palms. The Bali type of salak is especially nice since it is self pollinating, unlike most salaks, and has wonderful tasting fruits. They have a texture of an apple, but taste similar to a pineapple. It's one of those fruits, like lychee, that once you start eating them you can't hardly stop yourself from eating more, and more, and MORE. The bad news is i think they are fairlty strictly tropical. They're not going to like those arctic blasts you sometimes get in Florida. There are many species of edible salaks, and some of the other species may be more cold hardy. I think Mike T has mentioned this in other threads, but i'll let him chine in again here as he knows more about this.
About finding edible palms in southern Florida: probably most of the palms you're going to find at nurseries specializing in palms are ornamental rather than edible. But each nursery might have a few edible ones also. Unfortunately most palm collectors are mostly in it for the ornamentals. Also a lot of edible palms, like the salak, are extremely thorny, and palm enthusiasts don't fancy them.
Here is a place you can download some free information on edible palms:
http://pdfadvice.info/edible_palms

Salaks are vicious thorny.  The only ones I've had were the Balinese variety, very good.  Excalibur carries salak, instock may be another issue.  I don't know what variety they have.