Sabal palmetto

Sabal palmetto, the cabbage palm, is the northernmost native tree palm of the United States, growing wild from North Carolina to Florida and in the Bahamas and Cuba. It has a straight grey trunk and a dense globe of strongly costapalmate leaves with threads hanging between the segments.

Long sprays of fragrant, creamy flowers are followed by masses of small black fruits. It thrives everywhere from beach dunes and salt-marsh edges to swamps and pinewoods, and is highly wind resistant.

At a glance

• Native range: south-eastern United States, the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos and Cuba
• Mature size: usually 10–20 m
• Growth rate: very slow while trunkless, faster in nurseries
• Light: full sun for mature palms; young plants accept shade
• Water: adaptable; accepts poor drainage and periodic flooding
• Cold hardiness: about −9.4 °C for established palms
• Indoors / outdoors: outdoors, including coastal gardens

Care

It grows best on neutral to alkaline soils and tolerates salt spray, though not saline water at the roots. Feed with a palm fertiliser with magnesium and manganese. Dead leaves can be cut a few centimetres from the trunk to leave the decorative pattern of split leaf bases.

Why Palmpedia: Greenhouse-grown by us in Almeirim, Portugal, and supplied in 15 L to 35 L pots.