Monday Plant Feature

Featured Plant:

Name: Sabal palmetto (Cabbage palm, palmetto)

1. Family: Arecaceae
2. Plant type: Evergreen tree
3. Exposure: Full sun, wind and salt tolerant.
4. Branching pattern: Alternate
5. Habit: Branches form a round crown, and lower fronds are dropped creating a smooth trunk. Can grow up to 90-100 ft in height.
6. Foliage: Palmate, though somewhat elongated as if it is partially pinnate, and arching as well. Grayish green in color.
7. Flowers: In large clusters; insignificant feature of this tree.
8. Fruit: large clusters of small black drupes.
9. Similar species: Sabal minor (dwarf palmetto), Serenoa repens (saw palmetto)
10. Other: Abundant in the coastal southeastern regions of the United States, it is the state tree of South Carolina and Florida. It is also pictured on the South Carolina state flag. The name 'cabbage palm' comes from the fact that the leaf buds can be harvested and eaten in salads or cooked as 'swamp cabbage.' However, harvesting the buds stunts the growth of the tree.