Plant DetailShow Menu

Sabal palmetto is often confused with:
Washingtonia robusta Form
Plants that fill a similar niche:
Clethra alnifolia Clethra alnifolia
Ilex glabra Leaves
Ilex opaca Ilex opaca
Sabal palmetto has some common insect problems:
Palmetto Scale
Palm Leaf Skeletonizer
Cabbage Palm Caterpillar or Palmetto Borer

Cabbage Palmetto Sabal palmetto

Other Common Name(s):

Phonetic Spelling
SAY-bal pall-MET-toh
Description

Palmetto is an evergreen, perennial tree in the palm family (Arecaceae). It is native to much of the SE USA, the Bahamas and Cuba. In North Carolina, it occurs naturally in the Cape Fear area. The origin of the genus name is obscure. The species epithet is taken from palmito, the Spanish word for the edible terminal bud (heart-of-palm or “cabbage”). Another common name for this palm is cabbage palm, so named for its edible bud.

Palmetto is an easy-to-grow, solitary-trunked palm in areas warm enough to grow it. It is not fussy about soils, and it can tolerate light frosts or bouts of sub-freezing temperatures. Once established it is both drought- and flood-tolerant. It tolerates some shading while a juvenile, but the palm needs full sun most of the day. Seedlings and juveniles in forest understories will not produce an above-ground trunk until an opening in the canopy allows them to “see” sky. It grows best with regular irrigation on fertile, hummus-rich soils. Annual fertilizing with a palm-specific or a general slow-release fertilizer is advised. If desired, dead leaves can be pruned, but take off only brown leaves. Green leaves should never be removed, as doing so stunts the palm’s ability to grow. 

The large, evergreen plicate leaves rustle in the wind, adding a sonic component to a garden, and the sound of rain pelting the leaves is unforgettable. They are untroubled by serious pests, storm damage, heat or humidity. Palmetto has fragrant flowers that attract an astonishing variety of bees and other pollinators, and the fruits are enjoyed by many animals, including cedar waxwings, black bears, and coyotes. The terminal bud is edible (as "palm cabbage"), but removing it kills the tree. It is a source of palmetto honey in more southern states. In Florida, lethal bronzing disease is a serious threat to palmetto. The disease has not been confirmed in North Carolina.

It is not hardy in piedmont or mountains but does well in the southeastern tip of North Carolina's coastal plain. It is found in maritime forests, marsh edges, and other near-coastal communities. This plant is highly salt tolerant. It can be used in foundation plants, informal or formal groupings in pollinator, native plant, or winter gardens. It is an excellent choice for seaside gardens, rain gardens, children’s gardens and sensory gardens.

In NC, palmetto is a threatened species. It is found naturally only in Brunswick Co., NC (but the species is abundant in states farther south).

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems:  Certain pests can disfigure foliage, but the pests are not lethal and the damage is purely cosmetic. Lethal bronzing disease is a major concern in Florida. It seems only a matter of time until it spreads to North Carolina.


 

See this plant in the following landscape:
Coastal Garden - Tropical
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#evergreen#fragrant flowers#nectar plant#salt tolerant#showy fruits#small mammals#wind tolerant#NC native#deer resistant#children's garden#playground plant#edible fruits#native palm#food source fall#NC Native Pollinator Plant#food source herbage#food source nectar#food source pollen#Coastal FAC#bird friendly#food source soft mast fruit#nectar plant early summer#beetle friendly#bee friendly#Audubon#coastal plant#storm damage resistant#wildlife friendly#illustration
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#evergreen#fragrant flowers#nectar plant#salt tolerant#showy fruits#small mammals#wind tolerant#NC native#deer resistant#children's garden#playground plant#edible fruits#native palm#food source fall#NC Native Pollinator Plant#food source herbage#food source nectar#food source pollen#Coastal FAC#bird friendly#food source soft mast fruit#nectar plant early summer#beetle friendly#bee friendly#Audubon#coastal plant#storm damage resistant#wildlife friendly#illustration
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Sabal
    Species:
    palmetto
    Family:
    Arecaceae
    Uses (Ethnobotany):
    Seminole, Houma, Choctaw, and other Native American tribes in the southeastern US used this plant for construction of houses, food paddles, drying racks for animal skin, drying mats, fish drags, fish poison, ballsticks, arrows, and staffs. Interestingly, most Seminole homes were built from this plant.
    Country Or Region Of Origin:
    SE United States, Bahamas, Cuba.
    Wildlife Value:
    The flowers attract many kinds of pollinators (including bees, flies, beetles and wasps). The fruit are consumed by birds, especially cedar waxwings.
    Play Value:
    Edible fruit
    Sound
    Textural
    Wildlife Food Source
    Wildlife Nesting
    Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
    This plant is seldom damaged from deer. Highly salt tolerant.
    Dimensions:
    Height: 12 ft. 0 in. - 35 ft. 0 in.
    Width: 10 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Native Plant
    Perennial
    Tree
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Broadleaf Evergreen
    Habit/Form:
    Columnar
    Growth Rate:
    Medium
    Maintenance:
    Low
    Texture:
    Medium
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Soil pH:
    Acid (<6.0)
    Alkaline (>8.0)
    Neutral (6.0-8.0)
    Soil Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    Moist
    Occasionally Wet
    NC Region:
    Coastal
    USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
    7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
  • Fruit:
    Fruit Color:
    Black
    Blue
    Fruit Value To Gardener:
    Edible
    Display/Harvest Time:
    Fall
    Fruit Type:
    Berry
    Fruit Length:
    < 1 inch
    Fruit Width:
    < 1 inch
    Fruit Description:
    Displays from October to November. The fruit can be described as a single-seeded berry or a drupe with a membranous endocarp (stone).
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Cream/Tan
    White
    Flower Value To Gardener:
    Fragrant
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Summer
    Flower Shape:
    Star
    Flower Petals:
    2-3 rays/petals
    Flower Size:
    < 1 inch
    Flower Description:
    Creamy white, fragrant, 3-feet-long flower cluster in July.
  • Leaves:
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Broadleaf Evergreen
    Leaf Color:
    Green
    Leaf Feel:
    Rubbery
    Smooth
    Leaf Type:
    Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
    Hairs Present:
    No
    Leaf Length:
    > 6 inches
    Leaf Description:
    Palmate, fan shaped 5-feet long leaves on 2- to 7-feet-long stalks. Leaves of palmettos have a distinctive arch (unlike the smaller dwarf palmetto, Sabal minor).
  • Bark:
    Bark Color:
    Dark Brown
    Dark Gray
    Light Brown
    Light Gray
  • Stem:
    Stem Color:
    Brown/Copper
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
    Stem Cross Section:
    Round
    Stem Form:
    Straight
    Stem Description:
    The trunk is either brown and bare or clothed in the retained leaf bases ("boots"). Landscapers often scrape off the boots if the client wants a "cleaner" look.
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Coastal
    Recreational Play Area
    Landscape Theme:
    Children's Garden
    Edible Garden
    Garden for the Blind
    Native Garden
    Pollinator Garden
    Rain Garden
    Winter Garden
    Attracts:
    Bees
    Moths
    Pollinators
    Predatory Insects
    Small Mammals
    Songbirds
    Specialized Bees
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Deer
    Drought
    Heat
    Salt
    Storm damage
    Urban Conditions
    Wet Soil
    Wind