The Windmill Palm isn’t just a gorgeous addition to your home or backyard; it actually produces edible fruit that tastes surprisingly delicious! However, if you’re hoping for a harvest, you’ll need a little patience. These palms need to be a few years old before they start producing, and you’re going to need at least two of them to get the job done.
What You Need for a Successful Harvest
To get your Windmill Palm to produce those tasty treats, a few things need to line up just right:
- You need both a male and a female plant.
- The palms must be mature (usually at least four years old).
- Both plants need to be in bloom at the same time.
- You’ll likely need to do a little hand-pollinating.
It Takes Two to Tango
Since Windmill Palms are dioecious—meaning individual plants are either male or female—you can’t just have a solo palm if you want fruit. You need a pair to make fertilization happen.
If your palms are outside, local insects might do the heavy lifting for you. But if you want to be 100% sure you’ll get fruit, grab a small paintbrush and play matchmaker yourself. Just brush the bristles over the male flowers to pick up the pollen, then gently rub it onto the female flowers. Doing this a few times will give you the best results.
Patience is Key: Mature Palms Only
Don’t expect flowers right away. Windmill Palms only start blooming once they’ve reached adulthood, which usually takes several years. It’s also worth noting that palms kept strictly indoors rarely bloom. You’ll have much better luck with outdoor plants. Fortunately, Windmill Palms are quite cold-hardy, so they do great planted directly in the garden in many climates.
What Do the Fruits Taste Like?
Is it worth the effort? Absolutely! The fruit is surprisingly sweet and fleshy, making it a unique garden snack.
The small, round fruits start out green and turn a deep dark purple as they ripen. Once they hit that purple stage, they’re ready to be picked and eaten right off the tree. They usually grow to about 9 x 13 millimeters, featuring a thin skin and a pit in the center. Inside that pit is the seed, which you can actually save for growing even more new palms later on!
