Palms For California

Pronunciation: suh-BALL/SAY-bull pall-MET-oh

Common Name: Cabbage Palm; Common Palmetto; Carolina Palmetto; Blue Palmetto; Cabbage Palmetto

Sabal palmetto is one of the most commonly grown palm in the US… though 90% of those are on the east coast. It is not a super rare palm in California, but nor is it a common one, either. This palm is native to the Carolinas, Florida and some Caribbean islands. It is a very commonly used palm in landscaping in all of Florida. It is a very hardy palm and grows very well in that humid, hot climate. It does well in all of California, too, but its slow rate of growth and similarity to Mexican Fan Palm make its use here in public landscaping nearly nonexistent. It seems to be a very variable palm in our climates, as many palms grown in botanical gardens and identified as this have a wide variation in terms of crown size, trunk diameter and rate of growth.

Synonyms: Sabal 'Riverside'; Sabal bahamensis; Sabal blackburnia;

Appearance and Biology Habit: Solitary with a crown of 20-25 fan leaves Height: 25' Trunk: single; 12"-16" thick; naturally clean in older palms, or more commonly with retained, split leaf bases, though top of trunk may have a small petticoat of dead leaves; grey; closely and indistinctly ringed trunk (rings often accentuated while trimming off retained leaf bases); Crownshaft: none Spread: 10' Leaf Description: markedly costapalmate; 6'-7' long; medium green; overall leaf shape less than semicircular- more wedge-shaped; leaves divided about half their length; leaflets droop soon after division from leaf blade Petiole/Leaf bases: 4'; unarmed; sharp marginal blades; channeled; medium green; leaf bases split and retained on trunk for much of its length in California (or removed purposefully) Reproduction: monoecious Inflorescence: 4'-6'; within leaf crown; highly branched; white flowers Fruit: spherical; 1/2"; black when ripe

Horticultural Characteristics Minimum Temp: 12F Drought Tolerance: good Dry Heat Tolerance: good Wind Tolerance: good Salt Tolerance: good Growth Rate: slow Soil Preference: widely adaptable Light Requirement: full sun Human Hazards: none Disease or Horticultural Problems: few in California Transplants?: good once trunk formed; tolerates even complete defoliation before transplanting Indoor?: fair Availability: moderately common, though rarely found anywhere by palm specialty nurseries in this state; large palms available in Florida, but have to be driven back to California