Pindo Palm

Known as a “jelly palm” because of its edible fruit, the pindo is a slow-growing and hardy palm that works equally well in container or landscape plantings.

Pindo palms can grow as tall as 15 feet, but they are seldom seen at that height because they mature slowly. A short, rough and upright trunk ringed with old leaf scars is topped with a showy symmetrical crown of blue-gray to silver-green feather-like fronds. These long and glossy fronds curl back toward the trunk, sometimes nearly reaching the ground.

Pindo palms are disease and pest resistant. They grow in most soil types and can withstand hot and windy weather. Their small stature and urban tolerance make them good choices for street frontages without sidewalks. You won’t have to worry about them interfering with overhead power lines. The pindo palm is somewhat drought resistant but is more productive in good soils with regular but not excessive watering.

The pindo palm yields masses of clustered bright yellow fruits. These “pindo dates” can be preserved as a jelly, eaten as-is or pressed into wine. Plant the pindo palm in containers in outdoor living spaces or in the ground alone or beneath other, faster-growing palm trees.