CALL US +1.772.337.1959
Dwarf Palmetto
Sabal minor
- Common Name: Dwarf Palmetto (other common names: little blue stem, scrub palmetto, swamp palmetto, bush palmetto, bluestem palmetto)
- Scientific Name: Sabal minor
- Family Name: Arecaceae (Palmae)
- Origin: native to Florida and the Southeastern US.
- Height: 2’ – 7’
- Width: 3’ – 5’
- Growth: Slow
- Zone: 7B - 11
- Light Needs: Full sun – Partial shade
- Salt Tolerance: Moderate to High
- Soil/PH/Texture: Widely adaptable soil textures and can even grow in shallow soils if they are well drained. Mildly acidic – mildly alkaline (pH 6.1 – 7.8)
- Soil Moisture: occasionally wet but well drained.
- Drought Tolerance: High
- Pests/Diseases: No serious pests or diseases. (Graphiola false smut)
- Growing Conditions: Low maintenance and easily grown.
- Characteristics: A solitary, essentially trunkless, palm with 8-20 leaves. The trunk is straight or curved underground, very rarely forming a short trunk. The leaves are Costa palmate, induplicate and divided about halfway into 16-40 stiff, unsplit segments. The foliage is green to blue/green in color. There is no crown shaft. The bisexual flower is white, and the black fruit is about 3/8” in diameter.
- Propagation: Seed, germinating in 2-3 months; remote germination. Seed source determines hardiness to cold.
- Wildlife: attracts butterflies and birds.
- Facts: There are reports of survival after sub-zero temperatures. The Sabal minor ‘Louisiana’ is believed to be a faster-growing form of the species, found locally in Louisiana.
- Designer Considerations: It is used as a shrub, although it is usually found in the understory of woods across a broad swath of the southeastern U.S. It makes an interesting specimen plant in partial shade in areas where few palms could otherwise be grown. It can also be used as an accent or border plant.
Dwarf Palmetto
Location
Palm Walk Garden