Loughmiller, Campbell and Lynn
Sabal minor (Jacq.) Pers.
Dwarf palmetto, Palmetto, Bush palmetto
Arecaceae (Palm Family)
This common, fan-shaped palm is a small shrub,
5-10 ft. tall, occasionally reaching tree
size in Texas. Usually stemless, the leaves arising from an underground stock. Leaf blades longer than the leaf stalks, fan shaped, as much as 4 feet wide, dissected, the narrow segments notched at the tip. White blooms are followed by black fruit
about 1/2 inch wide in long clusters. Plant forms a trunk when grown in standing water.
There are more than 2,500 plants in the palm family worldwide, but only about a dozen are native
to the United States.
Image Gallery: 24 photo(s) available
Plant CharacteristicsDuration: Perennial Habit: Shrub Leaf Retention: Evergreen Size Notes:
5-8 feet tall. Leaf:
Blue Size Class:
Bloom InformationBloom Color: White
Bloom Time: May , Jun
AL , AR , FL , GA , LA , MS , NC , OK , SC , TX Native Distribution:
E. TX to AR, e. to s. FL & s.e. NC Native Habitat:
Lowlands; swamps; river terraces; floodplains Coastal from east Texas to Corpus Christi and inland to Edwards Plateau USDA Native Status: L48(N)
Growing ConditionsWater Use: Medium
Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade , Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist , Dry
CaCO3 Tolerance: None
Cold Tolerant: yes
Soil Description: Moist soils. Sandy, Sandy Loam, Medium Loam, Clay Loam, Clay
Conditions Comments: Palmetto lends interest and variety to a damp, shaded place. Provide it with plenty of water during establishment; afterwards palmetto is quite hardy through droughts although the tips of the leaves may turn brown. Dwarf palmetto is a good accent plant for moist areas and will tolerate poor drainage. It is the most cold-tolerant Sabal.
Winter-hardy Use Wildlife:
Cover, Fruit-birds, Fruit-mammals, Nectar-insects, Nesting site Interesting Foliage: