Cabbage Palm
Sabal palmetto
Palms Difficulty: Easy
📖 About this plant
The Cabbage Palm is the state tree of Florida and South Carolina, valued for its resilience to wind, salt, and drought. Its terminal bud can be harvested as heart of palm, and it is a quintessential element of Southern coastal landscapes.
🧑🌾 Care requirements
☀️
Light
Full sun (6-8 hrs)
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Water
Every 1-2 weeks
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Humidity
Moderate (40-60%)
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Temperature
5-35°C
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Soil
Wide range of soils including sandy, loamy, and clay; prefers well-drained; pH 6.0-8.0
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Fertilizer
Palm fertilizer (8-2-12) with micronutrients 3 times per year; young palms benefit from more frequent feeding
📋 Plant facts
- 🌍 Origin
- Southeastern United States, Cuba, Bahamas
- 📏 Max height
- 1200-2000 cm
- 📐 Spread
- 180-300 cm
- 🕰️ Bloom time
- Summer
- 🎨 Bloom color
- White
- 🍃 Foliage color
- Green
- ⏳ Lifespan
- Perennial
- 📈 Growth rate
- Moderate
- ☠️ Toxicity
- Non-toxic to pets and humans; heart (terminal bud) is edible — traditional 'hearts of palm' source
- 🌱 Propagation
- Seed germination (stratification improves success); transplant of nursery-grown seedlings
🛡️ Health & Safety
🐾 Pet safe
✅ Non-toxic
Non-toxic to pets and humans; heart (terminal bud) is edible — traditional 'hearts of palm' source
Common issues
- Bud rot disease, Palm leaf skeletonizer caterpillars, False smut on fronds, Lightning strike damage in open areas
💡 Care tips
- Native American palm tree found throughout the Southeast,Extremely cold-hardy and drought-tolerant once established,Tall straight trunk topped with a crown of fan fronds,Produces clusters of small white flowers in summer
🪴 Add to My Plants
One click — added instantly. Watering every 11 days, fertilizing every 30 days.
