Sabal minor (Dwarf Palmetto)

One of the hardiest palms, Sabal minor (Dwarf Palmetto) is a small evergreen palm, usually trunkless but sometimes with a short trunk. At the tips of long smooth unarmed petioles are 4-10 huge, fan-shaped leaves that can reach 3 ft. in diameter (90 cm). The shiny dark green to blue-green leaves are deeply divided into 30-40 narrow pointed segments. Strongly fragrant, creamy-white flowers are borne in large inflorescences, up to 6 ft. long (180 cm), which exceed the length of the leaves. They give way to small, rounded, dark brown to black fruits. Salt and drought tolerant, Dwarf Palmetto is also hardy to 10°F (-12°C) with no leaf damage. Cultivated for its ornamental characteristics and its rusticity, Dwarf Palmetto brings a handsome foliage mass to the landscape and can be used as a textural accent or a foundation plant. It also lends interest to a damp shaded site.

• Grows up to 4-6 ft. tall and wide (120-180 cm). This plant forms suckering colonies in wet and poorly drained soils in the wild.
• Easily grown in moist, moderately fertile soils in full sun to part shade. Drought tolerant once established. Dwarf palmetto is a great accent plant for moist areas and will tolerate poor drainage.
• No serious pest or disease issues.
• Propagate by seed.
• Native to the southeastern United States, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas.