Sabal Palm

Sabal palmetto grows up to 65 ft (20 m) in height, with a trunk up to 2 ft (60 cm) diameter. It is a distinct fan palm (Arecaceae tribe Corypheae), with a bare petiole which extends as a center spine or midrib, (costa) 1/2 to 2/3rds the length into a rounded, costapalmate fan of numerous leaflets. A costapalmate leaf has a definte costa (midrib) unlike the typical palmate or fan leaf, but the leaflets are arranged radially like in a palmate leaf.

All costapalmate leaves are markedly recurved or arched backwards. Each leaf is 5 to 6.5 ft (1.5-2 m) long, with 40-60 leaflets up to 2.6 ft (80 cm) long. The flowers are yellowish-white, .20 in (5 mm) across, produced in large compound panicles up to 8.2 ft (2.5 m) long, extending out beyond the leaves. The fruit is a black drupe about a half inch (1 cm) long containing a single seed. It is extremely salt-tolerant and is often seen growing near the Atlantic Ocean coast.

As a symbol of Florida’s beautiful coasts and native landscapes, cabbage palm is Florida’s official state tree. Cabbage palm, or sabal palm, can be found in several Florida ecosystems, including upland hardwoods, flatwoods, and tropical hammocks. Because it tolerates high water tables, it can also grow well in swamps, wet prairie, and coastal marshes. It may occur as single trees or groves of palms and it is also frequently planted in urban areas. On the coast, cabbage palm ranges from southeastern North Carolina through South Carolina and Georgia to the Florida Keys. It occurs only as far as northwestern Florida.

In the middle of the 20th century, the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs supported adoption of a palm tree to represent the state but not the royal palm introduced in the Florida House of Representatives in 1949. They much preferred the sabal palm (Sabal palmetto) and convinced the Florida Legislature that the sabal palm was more common throughout the state. Their campaign was successful and in 1953 the sabal palm (Sabal palmetto) was adopted as Florida’s official state tree.

In 1970, the Florida Legislature approved legislation that replaced the cocoa tree on the Great Seal of the State of Florida with Florida’s official state tree, the sabal palm.

This image was captured in Homestead, Florida using a
Canon 450D with an EFS 55-250mm lens
Focal Length 55mm
Exposure Time 1/1600s
Aperture F4
ISO-100

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