Sabal rosei

Geoff Stein - Author & Editor

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Pronunciation: suh-BALL//SAY-bull ROW-zee-eye


Common Name: Savannah Palmetto

Sabal rosei is a moderately rare species in California, but it shows up at several botanical gardens, and sometimes in a nursery for sale, too. It is a fairly skinny Sabal with a relatively narrow crown as well, considering it grows fairly tall in California. Probably this is a palm that looks better in groups than by itself.

Appearance and Biology
  • Habit: solitary with a crown of 20-30 costapalmate leaves
  • Height: 40'
  • Trunk: single; 10" thick; often covered to its entire height with split, retained leaf bases
  • Crownshaft: none
  • Spread: 10'-12'
  • Leaf Description: strongly costapalmate; 5'-6' long; medium to light green; sometimes with a small skirt of dead leaves below crown
  • Petiole/Leaf bases: 3' long; unarmed; split leaf bases retained on trunk, sometimes is entire height; pattern is fairly ornamental and geometric, and somewhat compressed compared to similar split leaf bases on other species of Sabals
  • Reproduction: monoecious
  • Inflorescence: 2'-4' long; from within leaves
  • Fruit: 1/3"-1/2" in diameter; round but somewhat flattened shape; turquoise green turning black when ripe
Horticultural Characteristics
  • Minimum Temp: 20F
  • Drought Tolerance: good
  • Dry Heat Tolerance: good
  • Cool Tolerance: good
  • Wind Tolerance: good
  • Salt Tolerance: unknown
  • Growth Rate: slow to moderate with age
  • Soil Preference: adaptable
  • Light Requirement: partial to full sun
  • Human Hazards: somewhat sharp petioles
  • Disease or Horticultural Problems: none
  • Transplants?: unknown
  • Indoor?: unknown
  • Availability: rare