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Sabal palmetto

cabbage palmetto

Arecaceae

Southeastern United States, Bahamas, Cuba

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies Drought Tolerant Fragrant (light)Container Friendly

Native to North America

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 8–11

Overview

Sabal palmetto is an evergreen fan palm reaching 30-65 feet (9-20 m) tall with a single unbranched trunk 12-24 inches (30-60 cm) thick, often holding a crisscross pattern of old leaf bases when young and smoothing with age. The crown carries 20-40 costapalmate leaves, each a fan 4-6 feet (1.2-1.8 m) wide on a stalk 3-6 feet (0.9-1.8 m) long, with the blade arching and the segments split and threaded with curling fibers. Leaf color is yellow-green to blue-green. Branched flower clusters 4-8 feet (1.2-2.4 m) long carry many small fragrant white flowers in early summer, followed by round black drupes about 0.5 inch (12 mm) wide in fall. Growth is slow, a few inches of trunk per year once established. The palm tolerates salt spray, wind, brief flooding, and short freezes. Transplanted palms shed their roots and regrow a new set, so establishment is slow.

Native Range

Native to the southeastern United States along the coastal plain from North Carolina to Florida and west to the Gulf Coast, and into the Bahamas and Cuba. It grows in coastal hammocks, dunes, pine flatwoods, and the edges of marshes, tolerating salt and seasonal flooding.

Suggested Uses

Planted as a street and avenue tree, in coastal and beachfront landscapes, and in groups or rows, spaced 6-10 feet (1.8-3 m) apart. It withstands salt and hurricane wind better than many trees. Single specimens anchor lawns and entries.

How to Identify

Identified by costapalmate fan leaves 4-6 feet (1.2-1.8 m) wide in which the stalk extends partway into the blade, curving it, with split segments bearing curly thread-like fibers. The single trunk and arching fans separate it from Serenoa repens, a low clumping palm. Old leaf bases form a crisscross pattern on younger trunks.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height30' - 65'

Width/Spread10' - 15'

Colors

Flower Colors

white

Foliage Colors

green

Fall Foliage Colors

no change

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~4 weeks

Spring Summer

Flowers in early summer, mainly May to July, with branched clusters of small fragrant white flowers held among the leaves. Round black fruits ripen from late summer into fall. Flowering and fruiting may run later in the southern part of the range.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

yellow-green to blue-green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 4-12 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.5 - 7.5(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

sand loam clay

Drainageaverage

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

10-20 years

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grows in full sun to part shade on a wide range of soils, from sand to clay, and tolerates salt, wind, and brief flooding. Water regularly for the first year or two after transplanting, as the palm regrows its entire root system and establishes slowly. Once rooted, it withstands drought and needs little care. Potassium deficiency yellows older leaves on sandy soils. It survives short freezes to about 10 F (-12 C) but is damaged by prolonged hard frost. Old leaf bases are sometimes removed for a smooth trunk.

Pruning

Remove only dead, fully brown leaves, cutting them close to the trunk. Cutting green leaves weakens the palm and is avoided. The persistent old leaf bases can be trimmed for a clean trunk once they loosen.