Butia 'Yatay'

Dwarf Yatay Palm has attractive bluish-green foliage with hints of silver on a tree with the bulk of the canopy held atop a towering trunk or stem. The recurved narrow pinnately compound leaves are highly ornamental and remain bluish-green throughout the winter. It produces chartreuse berries with yellow overtones from mid to late summer, which fade to orange over time. The rough bark and gray branches add an interesting dimension to the landscape.

Landscape Attributes

Dwarf Yatay Palm is an evergreen tree with a strong central leader and a towering form, with a high canopy of foliage concentrated at the top of the plant. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance tree, and should not require much pruning, except when necessary, such as to remove dieback. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Planting & Growing

Dwarf Yatay Palm will grow to be about 10 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 15 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 2 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 50 years or more.

This tree does best in full sun to partial shade. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist growing conditions, but will not tolerate any standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is not originally from North America.