Sabal Palmetto is native to the southeastern United States, Cuba, and the Bahamas. It is an attractive feature of the coastal areas of South Carolina and is also found in Georgia, Florida and North Carolina. It is commonly known as Cabbage Palm, Palmetto, Cabbage Palmetto, and Sabal Palm.

 

Sabal palmetto grows to a height of 10 – 25 m (32-82 feet), with a stem diameter of approximately 30 – 60 cm (12-24 inches). The palm is topped with a very dense, 10 to 15-foot-diameter, round crown of deeply cut, curved, palmate leaves.

 

The leaves of Sabal Palmetto are alternate, palmate compound, fan shaped. They emerge directly from the trunk which is often covered with old leaf stem bases that are arranged in an interesting cress-cross pattern. The flower are small, white occurring on large (several feet), branched clusters, appearing in early summer. The fruits are fleshy drupe, nearly round, 1/3 to 1/2 inch across, dark shiny blue, maturing in early fall and persistent into the winter. The plant has no twig since leaves appear directly out of non branched trunk. The bark is gray-brown, tough, splits vertically.

 

Cabbage Palm is exceptionally easy to transplant and will thrive in full sun or partial shade. It will adapt to slightly brackish water as well as dry, sandy locations and requires no special care once established. But it needs to be watered regularly until established

Since all cut roots die back to the trunk after transplanting. New roots are regenerated from the base of the trunk and require warm soil temperatures and plenty of water to survive.

 

Giant palm weevil, cabbage palm caterpillar, and a large number of scales infest Cabbage Palm. The giant palm weevil attacks recently transplanted palms and can kill them.

 

Sabal is highly prized as a salad vegetable for use in making pickles or relishes, and in Florida some use has been made of the fibers from the leaf bases. It is recommended for buffer strips around parking lots or for median strip plantings in the highway; reclamation plant; and small parking lot islands. Sabal palmetto is very salt and drought tolerant and can be used in beachside plantings

 

Did you know?

·         Cabbage palm is the state tree of Florida and is displayed on the state flag of South Carolina whose nickname is the "Palmetto State".