Sabal minor (Jacquin) Persoon. Common name: Dwarf Palmetto. Phenology: May-Jul; Sep-Nov. Habitat: Swamps, maritime forests, low moist woods, especially in calcareous soils developed from shell limestone (marl), hardwood flatwoods, marshes, saline barrens, also rarely planted as an ornamental farther inland, where persisting (and appearing native) or possibly naturalizing. Distribution: Ne. NC (Currituck County)(or possibly se. VA?) south to c. peninsular FL, west to e. TX, c. TX, se. OK, and s. AR; disjunct in Nuevo León (Goldman 1999). This palm reaches its northern natural range limit at Monkey Island, Currituck County, NC, and other more inland sites just a few miles south of the VA border (L. Musselman, J. Boggan, pers. comm., 2006); no other New World palm has a native range extending so far north. It has been widely planted horticulturally in se. VA and is now naturalized there.
ID notes: We have two widespread species of Sabal in our region, Sabal minor and Sabal palmetto, which are sometimes confused when Sabal palmetto is not yet of tree stature. Sabal minor has a shorter hastula (0.8-7.7 cm long, vs. 5.3-18 cm long) and leaf segments lacking fibrils (vs. with fibrils).
Origin/Endemic status: Native
Synonymy ⓘ: = Ar, FNA22, GW1, K4, NcTx, Ok, POWO, RAB, WH3; Chamaerops glabra Mill.; = n/a — C, F, G; = Sabal glabra (Mill.) Sarg. — S13; > Sabal deeringiana Small — S; > Sabal louisiana (Darby) Bomhard; < Sabal minor (Jacq.) Pers. — ETx1, Tx, Zona (1990), Zona (1997); > Sabal minor (Jacq.) Pers. — S; Corypha minor Jacquin. Basionym: Corypha minor Jacq. 1776 "Urbasionym:" Chamaerops glabra Mill. 1768
Links to other floras: = Sabal minor - FNA22
Show parent genus | Show parent in key(s)
Wetland Indicator Status:
- Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACW (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
- Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACW
- Great Plains: FACW (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
- Midwest: FACW (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
Heliophily ⓘ: 4
Hover over a shape, letter, icon, or arrow on the map for definition or see the legend.
© Bruce A. Sorrie | Original Image ⭷
© Rob Gardner | Original Image ⭷
© Bruce A. Sorrie | Original Image ⭷
© Alan Cressler: Sabal minor, Savannah River Valley, Augusta-Richmond County, Georgia 1 by Alan Cressler source | Original Image ⭷
© Alan M. Cressler | Original Image ⭷
© Bruce A. Sorrie | Original Image ⭷
© Alan Cressler: Sabal minor, Gabbro Glades, Oconee National Forest, Jasper County, Georgia 1 by Alan Cressler source | Original Image ⭷
© Alan Cressler: Sabal minor, Piedmont Physiographic Province, Muscogee County, Georgia, Steve Bowling 2 by Alan Cressler source | Original Image ⭷
© Alan Cressler: Sabal minor, Tourist Glade, Ketona Dolomite, Kathy Stiles Freeland Bibb County Glades Preserve, The Nature Conservancy, Bibb County, Alabama 1 by Alan Cressler source | Original Image ⭷Feedback
See something wrong or missing on about Sabal minor? Let us know here: (Please include your name and email if at all complicated so we can clarify if needed.) We greatly appreciate feedback, and will include updates from you in our next webapp update, which can take a few months. If a species is not keyed, that's because keying is ongoing. Please don't send us feedback about unkeyed species.
Horticultural Information
Intro:
Stems:
Leaves:
Inforescence:
Flowers:
Fruits:
Comments:
Height: 3 to 6 ft
plant sale text: Dwarf Palmetto is native to the southeastern United States. It is one of a few members of the palm family that is hardy through zone 7. Its leaves are evergreen and fan-shaped. At maturity, each leaf may be as much as eight feet wide. The edges of the leaves are sharp, so take care where you site this plant. The native range of the Dwarf Palmetto includes floodplains and wet hammocks from northeastern North Carolina to central Florida. Its roots were used for a variety of medicinal uses, as well as for food, by the Houma tribe of Louisiana. It bears clusters of black fruits that are eaten by the yellow-rumped warbler as well as various woodpeckers.
bloom table text:
description:
stems:
leaves:
inflorescence:
flowers:
fruits:
comments:
cultural notes:
germination code:
native range: southeastern United States
0 unsaved edits on this page.