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| COMMON NAME Para Dwarf Açaí Palm, Assai, Assaí |
| BOTANICAL NAME Euterpe oleracea var. ”Para’ Dwarf” |
| HEIGHT 15′ to 20′ |
| WIDTH 10′ |
| MONOECIOUS |
| EVERGREEN |
| LIFESPAN 25 years |
| PERENNIAL |
| COLD TOLERANCE 33° F |
| SOIL TYPE Well drained and consistently moist soil |
| WATER REQUIREMENTS Do not allow soil to dry between watering. Water after planting in ground, and water every day for 2 weeks.Week 3 and week 4, water deeply twice a week. From week 5 forward water deeply at least once a week until it has been 3 months. From then on, make sure your palm is receiving a deep watering at least twice a month, as it loves to have saturated roots. Supplement with water during droughts and the hot, dry months to keep your plant lush and thriving. Reduce watering in the Winter when growth slows. |
| DROUGHT TOLERANCE Medium |
| SALT TOLERANCE Medium |
| LIGHT REQUIREMENTS Full sun to partial shade |
| FERTILIZING Sparingly use a slow-release palm fertilizer with a 3:1:3 or 4:1:6 ratio three times a year, once in the Spring, Summer, and then in the Fall. Halt fertilizing in the Winter, then begin again in the Spring. Do not allow fertilizer to clump, be sure to disperse evenly. Clumped fertilizer can potentially burn roots, potentially harming or killing a plant. Avoid getting fertilizer on the leaves, flowers, stems, and trunk. |
| FLOWER Purple and small, occurring along an inflorescence. |
| MONTH OF COLOR – Throughout the year |
| FRUIT Green berry unripe, purple to indigo ripe. Berries occur in drupes. Edible. Harvesting can be from June to December. |
| ALLERGENS, TOXICITY AND ANIMALS Toxic to pets. Acai contains theobromine, the primary cause of chocolate poisoning in dogs. If allergic to any foods from the palm or Arecaceae family, such as dates or coconuts, then avoid acai berries. Acai berries contain some minerals that, in large doses, may be toxic to certain individuals. One with pollen and tree allergies might susceptible to an allergen in the acai berry.This berry can interfere with chemotherapy and reduce effectiveness of cancer treatments. |
| COMMENTS A slender and elegant, clustering palm from northern South America, frequently found growing along waterways. The berry is a super food of many uses with anti-oxidant qualities. Produces fruit with up to 25% more pulp than the regular açaí. Juice from fruit makes an excellent drink. It takes 4 to 5 years from seed to start producing fruit. Due to the high fat content, Acai berries go rancid within a day of being picked. In locations susceptible to cold damage, wrap a frost cloth over and around the tree and tie securely to protect the day before a freeze. Remove promptly once the freeze has subsided. Regulate soil temperature and better protect the roots by mulching (with mulch, leaves, hay, etc.) no less than 3″ thick and 1′ radius around the base of the trunk above where the roots grow. |
| PRICE 15 gallon $75 |