Sabal Species, Blue Palm, Bluestem Palmetto, Dwarf Palmetto, Louisiana Palmetto

On Apr 21, 2021, UtahTropics12 from Salt Lake City, UT (Zone 7b) wrote:

This palm survives here in Salt Lake City, Utah (7b) without any protection whatsoever, and can grow to a decent size over a long period of time (slow grower). I’ve seen them planted in several locations (ie full sun, part sun, part shade, mostly shade etc) and it seems to do well in all of them. But in my experience it does the best in full sun for sure, you’re going to get much faster growth here at least. This palm seems to LOVE as much water as you can give it here in the desert southwest, and thrives off ample irrigation in the 100 F+ summers we have here. This is one of the three palm species that will survive here in Salt Lake City without any protection whatsoever, the other two being Rhapidophyllum hystrix and Trachycarpus wagnerianus. You can grow several other palm species but t... read morehey will need some protection most definitely. This palm does very well here in the desert surprisingly, being that its a pretty drastic difference from its native habitat. Sabal minor has taken the (rare) 8-10 F temps, and heavy snow we get sometimes without issue. A really great palm for the milder parts of Utah! (7a+)

On Nov 22, 2019, dzoffer from Burlington, NJ wrote:

I've had my dwarf palmetto for about 7 years, first in a pot and for the last 3 years in the ground. I live in southern New Jersey (zone 6b/7a). For the last 2 years, it has produced inflorescences. This summer I started finding seedlings in the immediate area of the parent, as well as several in other areas of my yard. I have been thrilled to collect my own palmettos. I have been wondering se things though. 1. What animal is spreading the seeds around? 2. Are seedlings now growing in my neighborhood? 3. Is anyone else getting seedlings in this general area?

On Feb 25, 2017, PhillyLover from Philadelphia Suburbs, PA (Zone 7a) wrote:

Someone in Northern Florida gave me seed from flowering age plants that he said were sold to him as the Louisiana variety. He has several other Sabal minor types in his garden so not sure of the genetics due to possible cross pollination. They all germinated easily and were grown for a year to a full one gallon size before they were planted in the garden in full sun in exposed areas. Their first winter in the ground was the coldest in 30 years here. They survived but all growth above the ground was dead. They pushed new growth over the summer. Three years later, they are now all about 2 1/2' tall and the leaves are fewer but larger than my (possible) S. minor 'McCurtain'. The Louisiana plants seem to get a little less winter damage and grow a little faster as compared to the (possible) 'Mc... read moreCurtain' too. I may get flowers for the first time this year.

On Dec 13, 2014, Nomadct from Old Lyme, CT wrote:

Sabal minor is doing very well in my zone 7a coastal Connecticut garden.

Planted 4 years ago, and while some fronds burn in winter, it always grows 3 or so new fronds each growing season. My sabal took the severe winter of 2013/2014 (worst in at least 15 years) with a low of 3 F with about 40% of fronds burned, but still put up 3 new fronds this past summer. From observations in nearby Long Island and coastal New Jersey, Sabal minor seems to be the best bet for a palm in the Tri-State (NY/NJ/CT) area.

Should be planted on a SHELTERED south side location out of cold northwest winds, and given fertilizer during the growing season. Water well first growing season to encourage deep roots below the frost line.

On Sep 26, 2014, OldLineState from White Hall, MD wrote:

The Sabal Minor or Dwarf Palmetto is an extremely tough palm that can be planted in zone 6b with some natural protection and will eventual winterize.

I bought two Sabal Minors in May and June of 2013. A medium size one and a very small one. Here in Northern Maryland, we have hot humid summers so growth isn't a problem. However, this winter was the worst in about 20 years. There were about three dips to 0 degrees F, another dip to about 3 degrees F, and there were many days where the daytime high temperature never got above freezing. (This is what causes the most damage to palms.) The cold also continued well into March which is rather unusual.

Despite the winter from hell, both of the sabal minors, even the small one, survived the winter. Both of the palms t... read moreotally defoliated due to the cold but had mostly recovered by the end of the summer. They were the only type of palms that survived that I own. My windmill palm and even my needle palm did not make it.

The palms were going to need some sort of protection for the winter so I created a fence made of chicken wire around them and filled the area with leaves and straw. The palms spent most of the winter covered (Occasionally I would uncover them if the weather was decent so they could get sun) It is my belief that palms should be protected with natural products and not some type of material. It seems to have worked well even with the winter being as terrible as it was. I plan on putting less protection on them this winter because they should be more hardy. Eventually they should be able to survive without winter protection.

On Apr 15, 2014, niagarapalms from St. Catharines,
Canada wrote:

Grew 50 Louisiana's from seed about twelve years ago and planted in ground about 9 years ago once established. Some of the faster growing plants had reached frond heights of 5 feet on my west facing wall. The winter of 2014 finally reminded me that I live in Canada. I lost 7 of 10 in one garden and the three remaining really took a beating. Very disappointing to see them go. I am certain that they were the only true sabal's growing in the area naturally (zone 6b niagara).

On Dec 17, 2013, longjonsilverz from Centreville, MD wrote:

Dwarf palmetto is a very underrated landscape plant since it doesn't usually form a trunk above the ground, however they add a great tropical look when planted under larger trees. Sabal minor is one of a few palms hardy enough to survive here in Eastern Maryland (zone 7). In fact, they seem to thrive here without any damage in an average winter. All Sabals are very sensitive to transplanting, so be careful not to mess with any of the roots, especially when growing these in colder areas because a healthy root system will make a more cold hardy plant. They grow very slow, but faster with hot and humid summer conditions, since they are native to the Southeastern USA. If you are looking for a "trunking" version, try the Louisiana palmetto, which has appeared to be just as cold hardy as th... read moree standard dwarf palmetto in this area. It will take many years to form a sizable trunk so be patient.

UPDATE: 2014 was the coldest winter in decades for this area and temperatures were near 0F on about 5 nights and wind chill was as low as -30F. Some highs were as low as 12F and did not rise above freezing for weeks on a few occasions. All of my Sabal Minors were nearly flawless with only small browning of the tips of the leaves. I highly recommend these palms for the Delmarva area.

UPDATE:2015 was an even colder winter than 14', yet all sabal minors survived and although some had considerable browning of the leaves, a few were nearly flawless.

Other palms that have been reliably successful in this area: Needle palm (rhapidophyllum hystrix) and other variations of sabals including Sabal Louisiana, Sabal Brazoria, Sabal Birmingham and others.

On Jan 24, 2013, IslandJim from Keizer, OR (Zone 8b) wrote:

The picture I just posted (1/23/13) pretty well illustrates that give appropriate care, this can be a beautiful plant.

On Jul 29, 2012, Tntropic from Mount Juliet, TN wrote:

I've been growing sables for about 5 years in mt Juliet tn, they have survived a week of temps where the low was 5deg and the high was in the mid 20 (winter of 2010) this same winter I lost a Trap, and the spear pulled from a sable louisana which to my joy survived and now has a 8" trunk and stands 3 ft tall. Sable are slow to grow from seed so obtain the largest you can. My sable estonia has bloomed the last two years in a row I removed the flower stalk this year in hopes for the plants energy to be focused on growth. The seeds that were produced in 2011 I removed and tossed them into the woods behind my house, although I have found 3 seedlings at the base of the parent plant I have not looked in the woods to see if they have tried to naturalize. Currently I have a assortment of 15... read more sables in the ground ranging from 5 winter old to two. Growth is slow until the second full fan leaf is produced at which time they will speed up if it is warm and wet, I get between 2 and 7 leaves in most growing seasons but I do fertilize by weekly until mid aug at which point I let them harden for the cool moist fall.
I'll upload pictures later

On May 23, 2011, SuburbanNinja80 from Plainfield, IN (Zone 6a) wrote:

I have to say in Indiana there not very many palm growers. sabal Minor is a Huge winner in my eyes. Low Growing Palms that's insanely Hardy. It does the job in my Zone 6a. I have many most of them are small palms. Other than the Slow growth them its for the best they have that. I Seen one of the Underground Trunks.

On Oct 15, 2009, walkingthefrog wrote:

Native to the southeastern United States. It's slow growing but can become quite a pest when established. Much of the untamed, swampy lands of eastern Texas are filled with dwarf palmettos, sometimes farmers simply mow them with tractors or burn them to stunt their growth...but the palms grow back quickly. Tends to look like a short tangled mess when growing in the sun...when grown in shade it is much more attractive. Doesn't like to be disturbed after it has established itself, so digging them from the wild tends to be unsuccessful. It is extremely frost tolerate, every wild dwarf palmetto growing on my property survived the hard freeze of 1989 when the temperature dropped to 11 °F.

On May 24, 2009, patp from Summerville, SC (Zone 8a) wrote:

This palm is a very common understory plant in the wet coastal regions of South Carolina, where it receives very little sunlight. My husband found a small single fan in the back of our property years ago and moved it several times. It now resides near the base of an oak tree, where it quickly developed additional fans, then surprised us with a couple of seed stalks in late May 2009. We didn't know the name of this palm until today.

On May 30, 2008, keep_trying from Augusta, GA wrote:

I have never lived anywhere warm enough that palms were a good idea. So for that exotic look I have always liked Palmettos. Slow growing but very tough plants, cold hardy, and the same look as Spanish Bayonet without the danger. I planted several in Houston, they loved the wet, heavy clay soil, and mockingbirds loved the seeds. They were also occasionally to be seen wild in East Texas dry woods. Now I see densely packed trunkless Palmettos growing wild in low wet woodlands in Augusta, GA, and five foot trunks along the Atlantic coast. Of course it is the state tree of SC and appears on their flag, figuring in the patriot victory at Ft Moultrie.

I have a volunteer in my dry shady clay back yard, it is growing slowly - after 2-3 years just beginning to think about throwing up... read more a five inch hand. A neighbor has some volunteers as well which seem to be pretty tough, she parks her trash can on top of one of them.

Working in front of some bulldozers, I dug up half a dozen from the wild and planted them deep in another back yard for a mysterious exotic look. Even on the youngest specemins the corms were a foot down in the muck. They are now in shallow craters that hopefully will accumulate water - the reverse of what would be recommended for any other plant in this clay soil. So far half are doing well. I suspect it will be many years - decades? if ever before they get trunks. I would have liked them in the front yard as well, but need something that will grow quicker.

If you can pick and choose it may not be your first choice, but if palms are a stretch in your area, give the palmetto a look.

On May 17, 2006, Hikaro_Takayama from Fayetteville, PA (Zone 6b) wrote:

According to Tony Avent of Plant Delights Nursery, The Mc Curtain county, OK form of this palm seems to be hardier than the Needle Palm, and Logan Calhoun, whom he bought his first seeds from, reported that a number of seedlings planted in Wichita, KS survived winter temps of -24 deg F, and are producing seeds. Now if only these remarkable plants were more readily available (Plant Delights Nursery sells them as fast as they can grow them).

Update #1: I have managed to purchase two 1-gallon plants from Gerry's Jungle, and planted them in an area that is semi-shaded, near a natural seep that stays moist all year (even in our worst droughts). The palmettos are doing well thus far, but we'll see how they handle the winters around here. I'll be updating this comment next spri... read moreng.

Update #2: Wow, I guess I've been slacking off, but as of June 2012, both plants I got from Gerry's Jungle are alive and kicking, but suffering due to currently being planted in too much shade. I'm currently purchasing my own place, and will attempt to move them. Definitely reccommend S. minor for colder climates!

On Jul 12, 2004, aviator8188 from Murphysboro, IL (Zone 7a) wrote:

I can tell you that the Sabal minor is much hardier than one may think. The S. minor is cold hardy to temperatures as low as -5deg.F suffering from little if any damage. This palm can be grown in zones 6b - 10. I live in extreme southern Illinois(USDA zone 7a as indicated by the map on this webpage). In my yard on the south wall, I have two S. minors successfully growing. My Sabal minors were purchased from a palm nursery in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The seeds of the two specimens were collected from a native cold hardy population growing in northeastern Texas. As far as appearence, I enjoy the clumping form of the palm, it adds a "deep south" look to a northern garden. In places like Miami, the S. minor may not look very attractive growing next to a Cocos nucifera, but it looks great here!

On Jul 24, 2003, suncatcheracres from Old Town, FL wrote:

This interesting, small native palm grows in large patches under old live oak trees on my six acre property in Northcentral Florida, zone 8b. It grows near the road and driveways, where it can get some sun during the day. It is "a very fine dwarf palm with glaucous, silvery-green, fan-shaped leaves, almost circular in outline, and deeply and geometrically cut into 20 or 30 segments," which is a quote from an English seed catalog. The Europeans seem to value our American native plants as landscape specimens much more than we do--the grass is always greener?

This plant is highly variable, due to genetics. Its native range is the coastal plain of the Atlantic states and the states along the Gulf of Mexico, and the varieties grow larger from East to West, with some specimens... read more in Texas found growing as tall as 18 feet--of course, they are in Texas. My plants seem to top out at about six feet. Sabal minor is touted in the plant trade as being the hardiest palm, and often pictured under snowfall. Coldhardiness is also genetically determined, with plants from its northernmost range being the most hardy, and it is grown as a landscape plant as far north as Rhode Island.

In the trade it has various named varieties: 'Louisiana' is often named as the smallest dwarf palmetto, but there is a variety that grows to only two feet or so from Southeastern Oklahoma. The LSU agricultural center has done extensive genetic research and found that Dwarf Palmetto can live to be over 400 years old! The plant was first described by LeClercq in an account of LaSalle's explorations of the Mississippi River valley. There is another small form at about three feet square called 'Hill Country Form' that is from "remnant populations existing along and near water growing in and out of limestone rock in the baking Texas sun."

In Florida the Dwarf Palmetto grows naturally in about half of the counties, mainly in the northern parts of the state, in the understory of deciduous woodland. In the trade it is often confused with Sabal etonia, the Scrub Palmetto, which is another dwarf fan palm that perfers the dry pineland and sand pine scrubs of Central Florida. You can easily tell the difference because Sabal minor does not have the stringlike filaments that develop along the edges of the leaves of Sabal etonia.

The native people found many uses for this plant, from roofing material to cooking to medicine. It has an interesting underground trunk, so appears trunkless until it reaches a certain size, genetically determined of course, and the white flower inflorescence is sweetly fragrant and bears small, shiny deep blue fruit after flowering.

It is readily propagated from seed, but seed should be sown as soon as possible, as dried seed is much more difficult to propagate. Seedlings should be grown out in a pot for a year or two as young plants have not developed their legendary coldhardiness. Siting can be problematic, as it likes it's head in the sun and it's feet near the water, or at least a wet site. It can be grown as an inpenetrable border, or as a tall ground cover under oaks. It is not known to be invasive and has no known serious pests.