Texas Sabal
Stately and robust, Texas Sabal Palms grow up to 50’ tall with a solitary trunk, 8-32” in diameter. The canopy of a mature Texas Sabal Palm Tree may be 8-25’ across. The gray trunk has closely spaced annular rings. Usually part of the trunk remains covered with old leaf stem “boots,” that often split at their bases. These persistent boots form a characteristic crosshatch pattern on the trunk. The petioles (leaf stems) are smooth and completely thornless and may be up to 15’ in length. Texas Sabal Palm Trees have 10-25 fan-shaped leaves ranging in color from deep emerald green for palms in shade or part shade, to lighter green for palms receiving more sunlight. Each leaf has 80-115 leaflets with characteristic threads unraveling along the margins. The Palm Tree's leaves have prominent and strongly downward arching costas (leaf midribs) which give them a three-dimensional effect. Texas Sabal Palms may flower when very young, often blooming when the trunk is small or even nonexistent. The Texas Sabal Palm Tree produces small white flowers in a branched inflorescence about as long as the leaves. Male and female flowers are borne on the same plant. The fruits are round-oval and black when ripe. The Texas Sabal Palm can be distinguished from other palmate-leafed palms by its long, smooth, nonthorny petioles and the long, downward arching costas.
Texas Sabal Palms Usage
Use Texas Sabal Palm Trees in formal groupings, as a lawn tree, in large-scale plantings and as that special accent tree. The Texas Sabal Palm is best suited to medium or large yards since the Palms may grow 50’ tall and spread 25’ across. Texas Sabal Palm Trees may be used in a variety of situations since the Palms are tolerant of wind, drought, salt, and most soil types.
