You may know the Sable palm tree (Sabal palmetto) as the Blue Palmetto, Cabbage Palm or Sabal Palm. This evergreen landscape tree, with its huge, fan-like leaves, is fairly maintenance-free once established. It thrives in U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zones 8 through 15. The warmer its climate, the faster it grows; it rises to 80 feet in the warmest areas. However, the Sable Palm’s trunk shows up only after several years, with the fronds keeping close to the ground before that. Selecting the best location and soil type before planting the Sable palm is the best way to ensure easy long-term care.
Prepare the soil before planting a young Sable palm tree. Work in a good amount of sand if the original soil is very heavy, to provide good drainage. Plant the Sable palm in a location with full sun, partial sun or partial shade. Clear its immediate area of other plants or structures because it spreads out from 12 to about 20 feet.
Mulch the Sable palm with a ring of sterile mulch 18 inches wide and 2 to 6 inches deep. Spread it at least 6 inches from the palm trunk. Use only sterilized mulch because other types can contain bacteria or fungus harmful to the live tree.
Water the Sable palm at its base inside the mulch ring. Water a just-planted Sable palm weekly until it becomes established. Established trees usually do not need regular watering, but in drought periods water them at least twice monthly.
Prune only spent, brown fronds from the Sable palm as they appear; do not prune further. Wear gloves and protective clothing because the leaves can be sharp and injure your skin. Saw off the browned fronds close to the trunk. Do not cut into the trunk because wounds allow diseases to enter the tree.
Things You Will Need
- Gloves and protective clothing
- Sable palms are cold-hardy, but they do not do well in areas with cool summers or winters with excess rain and chill.
- t is usually not necessary to amend the soil with compost or fertilizer either at planting or during its lifetime. However, the trunk appears earlier and the tree grows faster in moderately fertile soil that maintains moisture.
- Never drive nails into the Sable palm to hang lights or signs. Do not climb the tree with spikes. Do not use a string weed trimmer near the trunk. Puncture wounds never heal and can allow diseases to enter.
- John Foxx/Stockbyte/Getty Images