Tree Description:
A large palm tree to 50 feet tall and a cylindrical trunk to 2 feet in diamter, with a dense, round crown of live fronds and a "skirt" of dead fronds hugging the trunk.
Range/Site Description:
Native populations only in the Rio Grande valley, Cameron County in particular. Formerly present along coastal rivers. Planted widely for ornamental purposes and cold-hardy to Austin.
Leaf:
A large, fan-shaped frond, 4 to 6 feet long and wide, with a stiff, toothless leaf stalk as long as the blade. Central leaf vein forms a stout, curving divide between the two frond halves.
Flower:
Long branched stalks 7 or 8 feet long, bearing the pale flower clusters in spring.
Fruit:
A round, black berry, 0.5" in diameter, appearing in summer.
Bark:
Gray, fibrous, and tough, marked with the prominent leaf scars.
Wood:
Leaves are sometimes used for chair seats and roof thatching; the trunks were once used for posts or wharf pilings.
Similar Species:
Florida sabal (Sabal palmetto) is common landscape palm with shorter leaf stalks; dwarf palmetto (S. minor) is common groundcover in wet areas.
Interesting Facts:
The last native stand of the species in the U.S. is the Audubon Society's Sabal Palm Grove Sanctuary south of Brownsville, Texas.
