cabbage palmetto
Sabal palmetto · Arecaceae
cabbage palmetto (Sabal palmetto) is a perennial tree in the Arecaceae family. It is native to North America. USDA records it as hardy in zone 8 and warmer, down to about 16°F.
At a glance
| Type | tree USDA |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | perennial USDA |
| Native status | native USDA |
| Mature height | 90 ft USDA |
| Light | shade USDA |
| Water need | medium USDA |
| Growth rate | slow USDA |
| Soil pH | 5.1–7.8 USDA |
| Bloom | June–August USDA |
| Flower color | White USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 8 and warmer USDA |
| Guild layer | canopy Derived |
| Nursery availability | No Known Source USDA |
USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.
Growing conditions
It tolerates full shade. USDA rates it as having moderate water needs. Its drought tolerance is rated low. It is recorded on soils from pH 5.1 to 7.8 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 8.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 90 ft, making it a large tree that will dominate its site. It grows slowly.
Bloom period
USDA records a bloom period of June through August. Flowers are white.
A flowering date, not a pollinator rating.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is gray-green, coarse in texture. Its flowers are conspicuous. Its fruit or seed heads are conspicuous, extending interest past flowering. Its active growth period is spring and summer. Its winter foliage is dense, which makes it useful for year-round screening. USDA rates its lifespan as moderate.
What the site needs to provide
USDA records it across sites receiving 30 to 70 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 180 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 18 inches. Fertility requirement: low — no feeding needed on ordinary garden soil.
Propagating it
Propagate it from seed, bare root and container stock. USDA records no cold-stratification requirement, so seed should germinate without a chilling period. Its seed spreads at a slow rate.
Resilience and wildlife
Browsing animals rate it barely palatable — the sourced basis for calling it deer-resistant. Its fire tolerance is rated low. Its growth form is recorded as single stem.
Role in a guild
Canopy. In a layered planting this is the tallest layer of a planting — it sets the light budget everything beneath it lives on. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.
Tags
Related plants
Others in Sabal
- Puerto Rico palmetto Sabal causiarum
- dwarf palmetto Sabal minor
Similar role and hardiness
- breadfruit Artocarpus altilis
- common bamboo Bambusa vulgaris
- gray sheoak Casuarina glauca
- coconut palm Cocos nucifera
- river redgum Eucalyptus camaldulensis
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol SAPA, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.
- Quoted from USDA PLANTS: active growth period, Bloom, Bloom end, browse palatability, cold stratification, Drought tolerance, Edible, fall conspicuous, fertility requirement, fire tolerance, Flower color, flower conspicuous, foliage color, foliage porosity winter, foliage texture, frost free days min, fruit conspicuous, growth form, Growth rate, Hardiness zones, Lifecycle, lifespan, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Native status, Nitrogen fixation, Nursery availability, precipitation max in, precipitation min in, propagation, resprout ability, root depth in, seed spread rate, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Tolerance of wet soil, Toxicity, Type, Water need.
- Derived by a fixed rule from those columns: Guild layer.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
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