• Topics: Palm Varieties  | Arecaceae (taxonomic family)  |  Southern Trees Fact Sheets 

Sabal palmetto: Cabbage Palm¹

Introduction

Capable of reaching 90 feet or more in the woods (when shaded or protected by surrounding trees) but usually seen at 40 to 50 feet in height, this amazingly sturdy native palm has a rough, fibrous trunk that is quite variable in shape, from straight and erect, to curved or leaning. Cabbage Palm is topped with a very dense, 10 to 15-foot-diameter, round crown of deeply cut, curved, palmate leaves. This is South Carolina's and Florida's state tree, and is well-suited to use as a street planting, framing tree, specimen, or clustered in informal groupings of varying size. Cabbage Palm is ideal for seaside locations. The four to five-foot-long, creamy white, showy flower stalks in the summer are followed by small, shiny, green to black fruits which are relished by squirrels, raccoons, and other wildlife.

Figure 1. 

Mature Sabal palmetto: cabbage palm

General Information

Scientific name: Sabal palmetto

Pronunciation: SAY-bull pahl-MET-oh

Common name(s): Cabbage Palm, Cabbage Palmetto

Family: Arecaceae

USDA hardiness zones: 8B through 11 (Fig. 2)

Origin: native to North America

Invasive potential: little invasive potential

Uses: reclamation; street without sidewalk; specimen; parking lot island < 100 sq ft; parking lot island 100-200 sq ft; parking lot island > 200 sq ft; sidewalk cutout (tree pit); tree lawn 3-4 feet wide; tree lawn 4-6 feet wide; tree lawn > 6 ft wide; urban tolerant; highway median

Availability: native to North America

Figure 2. 

Range

Description

Height: 40 to 50 feet

Spread: 10 to 15 feet

Crown uniformity: symmetrical

Crown shape: palm, upright/erect

Crown density: open

Growth rate: slow

Texture: coarse

Foliage

Leaf arrangement: spiral (Fig. 3)

Leaf type: costapalmate

Leaf margin: entire

Leaf shape: star-shaped, orbiculate

Leaf venation: palmate

Leaf type and persistence: broadleaf evergreen, evergreen

Leaf blade length: more than 36 inches

Leaf color: green

Fall color: no color change

Fall characteristic: not showy

Flower

Flower color: white/cream/gray

Flower characteristics: showy

Fruit

Fruit shape: round

Fruit length: less than .5 inch

Fruit covering: dry or hard, fleshy

Fruit color: black

Fruit characteristics: attracts squirrels/mammals; not showy; fruit/leaves a litter problem

Trunk and Branches

Trunk/bark/branches: branches don't droop; not showy; typically one trunk; thorns

Pruning requirement: little required

Breakage: resistant

Current year twig color: not applicable

Current year twig thickness:

Wood specific gravity: unknown

Culture

Light requirement: full sun, partial sun or partial shade

Soil tolerances: clay; sand; loam; alkaline; acidic; extended flooding; well-drained

Drought tolerance: high

Aerosol salt tolerance: high

Other

Roots: not a problem

Winter interest: no

Outstanding tree: no

Ozone sensitivity: unknown

Verticillium wilt susceptibility: resistant

Pest resistance: resistant to pests/diseases

Use and Management

Cabbage palm is about as hurricane-proof as a tree can be. They stand after many hurricanes have blown over the oaks and snapped the pines in two. They adapt well to small cutouts in the sidewalk, and can even create shade if planted on 6- to 10-foot centers. Clean the trunk of leaf bases to eliminate a habitat for roaches.

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. There is evidence showing that removing all the fronds increases transplant survival. Tie the top-most fronds together if only lower fronds are removed so that the bud is protected during transport. Cabbage palm is drought-tolerant, but not until it is well-established in the landscape after transplanting. New transplants (particularly those receiving too little water) are particularly susceptible to the palm weevil, which kills the palm. Although it is one of the hardier palms, 11°F temperatures killed about twenty-five percent of the cabbage palms in 1983 in Baton Rouge.

Cabbage palms are generally collected from existing stands and are not grown in nurseries. Seeds germinate readily in the landscape, generating many seedlings. Removing the seedlings from beneath the canopy can be a nuisance.

Sabal peregrina , planted in Key West, grows to about 25 feet high. Sabal minor , a native dwarf palmetto, creates an exotic, usually stemless shrub, four feet high and wide. Older dwarf palmettos develop trunks to six feet tall. Sabal mexicana grows in Texas and looks similar to Sabal Palmetto .

Pests

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.

Diseases

Ganoderma butt rot is perhaps the most serious disease of cabbage palms. It kills the palms it infects. The disease enters the trunk primarily through injuries on the lower trunk and roots. Avoid irrigating the trunk. There is no control for butt rot, only prevention. Remove infected palms as soon as possible.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Millie Ferrer-Chancy, Interim Dean.

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