Have you ever seen a palm tree make fruit?
While dates may be the most famous fruit tree from palms, one great Florida-Friendly palm we have growing throughout much of the state should not be overlooked for your landscape. The pindo palm.
Try a Pindo
Pindo palms (Butia odorata) can grow in most areas of Florida but does best in cooler zones of the state. This is a smaller palm and is a slow grower, reaching a height of 15-20’. This makes it a great candidate for home landscapes where larger palms would be out of place. The gray-green recurved leaves are very attractive, as are the patterns of the boots along the trunk. Plant this palm in a full sun to partial shade in a wide range of soils including very dry or alkaline sites.
For care, pindo palms are remarkably disease and pest resistant and are known for being one the lowest maintenance palms for Florida. The only issue you may see, that is common among most palms, is potassium deficiency so applications of palm fertilizer 3-4 times per year is needed. For more information on this great landscape palm, check out https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/ST105 or https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/trees-and-shrubs/palms-and-cycads/pindo-palm/ .
Pindo Fruit
One awesome feature of this palm is the yellow-orange colored fruit they produce annually. Being around the size of a large cherry, they are ripe when they turn a reddish orange and become somewhat soft. You will also notice that once they are ripe, many mammals, birds, and insects will show up to share in the bounty. Harvest when ripe and wash them to enjoy and peel the edible flesh away from the very tough inner stone.
The flesh of the fruit can be eaten raw, used to create jellies, or as I have found, make a delicious syrup to use with pastries, mocktails, or even shaved ice. The fruit tastes something like a tart apricot. To create a flavored syrup, try the recipe below:
Pindo Syrup Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 oz Sugar
- 4 oz Water
- 6-8 Ripe Pindo Fruits
- Optional: Cinnamon, allspice, cloves, herbs, etc.
Directions
Heat water in saucepan or pot and add in sugar, stir continually until sugar is completely dissolved. Add in washed, ripe pindo fruits that are quartered and allow to steep for 30 minutes or more. The longer it steeps, the more strong the flavor. After a half hour more, transfer to bottle and stir in a refrigerator until use. Most flavored syrups will last around 3-4 weeks while refrigerated.
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