This beautiful feather palm has long fronds that arch and recurve towards the ground from atop a thick stout trunk. Typically, the old leaf stalks persist for years, although specimens with clean trunks are not uncommon. Leaves range from light green to bluish gray. These palms vary in form. Location All members of the Butia species are native to the grasslands, dry woodlands and savannahs of South America.
Populations range across a wide area of northern Argentina, southern Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.
Prefers sandy, well drained soil but is adaptable and very drought tolerant. Regular watering and feeding will produce a faster growing, more attractive palm. In the United States, it is grown as far north as North Carolina. Young palms are often found under palms that have been allowed to produce fruit. It is not unusual to see offspring growing in the old leaf boots of a mature tree.