Sabal palmetto 'Lisa'

'Lisa' is a grower-named form of the cabbage palm, Sabal palmetto. The species is the northernmost native tree palm of the United States, with a straight grey trunk and a dense, rounded crown of strongly costapalmate leaves.

Wild from North Carolina to Florida, the Bahamas and Cuba, it is famously tough, wind resistant and cold tolerant. The notes below describe the species.

At a glance

• Native range: south-eastern United States, the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos and Cuba
• Mature size: species usually 10–20 m
• Growth rate: slow
• Light: full sun for mature palms; young plants accept shade
• Water: adaptable; copes with poor drainage
• Cold hardiness: about −9.4 °C for established palms of the species
• Indoors / outdoors: outdoors

Care

Plant in full sun in neutral to alkaline soil and feed with a palm fertiliser containing magnesium and manganese. A study found 'Lisa' to be more sensitive to saltwater at the roots than some other Florida palms, so avoid sites with saline groundwater.

Why Palmpedia: Grown in our greenhouse in Almeirim, Portugal, and supplied in 15 L to 35 L pots.