(Palm, Palmetto)

(Bermuda Palm, Bermuda Palmetto)

Prized for its bold colorful fan-shaped fronds and its remarkable cold hardiness, this Bermuda native is endangered in the wild but widely grown in gardens. It slowly forms a single-trunked, round-headed specimen that eventually reaches the height of a 3-story house. It resembles the Florida cabbage palm (Sabal palmetto) but is shorter with a stouter trunk.

The immense, blue-tinged, evergreen fronds are divided into numerous long, narrow, blade-like segments. The fronds, which may be...

(Hispañolan Palmetto)

Bearing bold colorful fan-shaped fronds atop a stout trunk, this Caribbean native is one of the most imposing and ornamental palmettos. Slowly forming a single-trunked, round-headed palm of medium height, it is essentially a slightly larger version of cabbage palm (Sabal palmetto).

The immense, bluish green, evergreen fronds are divided into numerous long, narrow, blade-like segments. The fronds are borne on long, straight or slightly arching stems ("petioles"). The upper trunk of older...

(Puerto Rican Hat Palm, Puerto Rican Palmetto)

With its immense evergreen fronds and massive gray trunk, this medium-sized, slow growing palm is among the noblest members of the genus Sabal. It is a rare native of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, where its fronds were traditionally used for basketmaking, hats and other woven goods.

Borne in a dense rounded crown, the bold, bright green, often blue-tinged fronds are deeply divided into long sword-shaped segments. Long white filaments fringe the edges of the segments. The fronds...

(Scrub Palmetto)

A shrubby palm native to sandy ridges in central Florida, Sabal etonia is valued for its attractive foliage and its tough constitution.

Plants bear four to seven umbrella-sized, fan-shaped, evergreen fronds on long, stout, erect or inclined stems ("petioles"), forming a head-high clump. The yellowish green fronds are deeply divided into long, sword-shaped segments that bear drooping thread-like filaments at their base. The trunk is subterranean, protecting it from fire. The small fragrant...

(Bay-leaf Palm)

Beautiful and distinctive, this slender-trunked, medium to tall palm is especially noteworthy for its immense fan-shaped fronds, whose pale undersides shimmer in the landscape. It is native to coastal rainforests in Trinidad and from southeastern Mexico to Colombia.

Bright green above and silvery beneath, the evergreen fronds are deeply divided into approximately 60 sword-shaped segments that radiate like the ribs of a parasol. The segments often arch downward, creating a fountain effect. The...

(Mexican Sabal Palm, Texas Palmetto)

With large, fan-shaped leaves atop a straight trunk criss-crossed by the lingering bases of spent leaves, the Texas palmetto has a striking presence. A slow-growing plant with a thick trunk and seemingly robust canopy of fronds, it is native from the southern tip of Texas southward to El Salvador.

The fronds are large and fan-shaped, with deep incisions. Ranging in color from yellow-green to very dark green, the canopy of fronds is usually rounded and massive atop the straight, ringed, grayish-tan...

(Miami Palmetto)

Closely related to Sabal etonia, this shrubby palm from Southeast Florida may be extinct in the wild. Plants bear four to six umbrella-sized, fan-shaped, evergreen fronds on long, stout, erect or inclined stems ("petioles"), forming a chest-high clump. The yellowish green fronds are deeply divided into long, sword-shaped, gracefully arching segments that radiate like the spokes of a parasol. The trunk is subterranean, protecting it from fire. The small fragrant ivory flowers appear in late...

(Bush Palmetto, Dwarf Palmetto, Little Blue Stem, Swamp Palmetto)

This compact palm is considered a "semi-dwarf" because it often reaches no more than head height. It is native to the southern United States, from the Carolinas to Florida and across to Texas and is generally found swampy, shady locations. It is the northernmost naturally occurring palm in North America and has excellent cold hardiness that is surpassed only by the needle palm, Rhapidophyllum hystrix. Habit varies; more westerly populations of this palmetto tend to grow an upright trunk,...

(Louisiana Dwarf Palmetto)

Its greater size and aerial (rather than subterranean) trunk set 'Louisiana' apart from most other dwarf palmettos. It is a selection of a rare trunk-forming variant found in the western part of the species' range. Native to moist habitats from the Carolinas to Texas, dwarf palmetto is the northernmost American palm, rivaling needle palm (Rhapidophyllum hystrix) in cold hardiness.

Plants bear four to ten bluish green, fan-shaped fronds atop stout trunks that grow slowly to head height....