Dwarf palmetto overview
The trunkless native fan of the Southeast. USDA 7a to 11, a real palm for yards that still freeze, and not a cabbage palmetto on a stick.
Region of origin
Southeastern and south-central United States
Native countries
Historical discovery
Nikolaus Jacquin published Corypha minor. Christiaan Persoon made the Sabal combination in 1805. It is one of the hardiest native palms in the United States.
Names
Common names
Dwarf palmetto, Bush palmetto, Scrub palmetto (misapplied)
Synonyms
- Corypha minor Jacq.
Cold hardiness
Survives about 0°F / -18°C. Outdoor range USDA 7a–11a. Hover or click a zone, state, or country. Switch the U.S. map between states and hardiness zones.
Highlighted USDA zones 7a–11a. Green countries can be grown outdoors.
United States
In range Too cold
World
Native Can be grown
Alaska and Hawaii are state outlines with their overall zone range. A country is painted if its mildest inhabited winter is at least one USDA step milder than this palm’s hardiness.
Scientific facts
- Usually subterranean trunk. You see a crown of costapalmate fans at ground level.
- Hardier than cabbage palmetto. Zone 7 plantings exist with snow on the fans.
- Scrub palmetto is often Sabal etonia in Florida, a different species.
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Full care guide
Dwarf palmetto is the low, mostly trunkless native fan of the southeastern and south-central United States. USDA 7a to 11. If cabbage palmetto is too tree-like or too tender for your winter, this is the palmetto that still belongs in the yard.
Common Names:
Dwarf palmetto, bush palmetto. Scrub palmetto in Florida is often Sabal etonia.
Scientific Name:
Sabal minor (Jacq.) Pers.
Origin:
Southeastern and south-central United States, floodplains, swamps, and woodland edges.
Appearance:
A clump of costapalmate fans from a short or underground trunk. Blue-green to green leaves. It reads as a shrub, not a street tree.
Growth Rate:
Slow.
Max Growth Height:
Often 4 to 6 feet of foliage, sometimes a little taller. Not a 40-foot cabbage palmetto.
Foliage Spread:
A mature clump 4 to 8 feet wide.
Cold Hardiness and Hardiness Zone:
USDA 7a to 11. Established plants take near 0°F in some provenances, with leaf burn. It is in the conversation with needle palm, not coconut.
Soil Type:
Moist native soils, including clay and seasonal wet. Drainage still helps in a constructed bed. It is not a desert fan.
Fruit and Flowering:
Black fruit. Wildlife eats it. Seedlings appear under perches.
Can it Grow Indoors:
No.
Light Requirements:
Sun to part shade. In hot inland sites, a little afternoon shade keeps it prettier.
Water Requirements:
Regular water to establish. Native sites are often moist. Drought-tough once in, still looks better with summer water in sand.
Maintenance Level:
Low. Leave the old fans unless they bother you. Feed in the growing season with palm-specific fertilizer in sand. Do not plant it where you wanted a trunked street palm.
Common Diseases/Pests:
Scale and occasional leaf disease in still, wet shade. Cold is usually cosmetic on established plants.
Plant Care:
Plant in sun or light shade with room to clump. Water the first year. Use this when you want a native hardy fan, not a coconut in a climate that still snows.
Dwarf palmetto Frequently Asked Questions:
1. Dwarf palmetto or cabbage palmetto?
Dwarf palmetto stays low, usually without a tall trunk. Cabbage palmetto (Sabal palmetto) is the state-tree street palm.
2. Can I grow it in zone 7?
Yes, that is one of the reasons to plant it. Needle palm is the other ultra-hardy name. Expect some leaf burn in a brutal winter.
3. Will it get a trunk?
Usually not much of one above ground. A few old plants show a short trunk. Do not buy it expecting a tree.
4. Is it the same as saw palmetto?
No. Saw palmetto is Serenoa repens, with armed petioles and a different habit.
If you garden in the Southeast or a cold-edge yard and still want a real palm, dwarf palmetto is the native clump to learn. Leave the coconuts for the tropics.