Sabal

[Surf Guy]

I have heard that these two palms are very similar, almost to where they are hard to tell apart. I was thumbing through The Palm Journal, issue 190, and noticed a picture of each one of these palms. If you have the issue look at fig. 27 (mauritiiformis) and then fig. 56 (yapa). These palms look totally different to me. I have one each in five gallon pots and I am debating on which one to plant. What are your thoughts on the pictures in The Palm Journal? I don't know much about Sabal's if anything. Any pictures of your Sabal's would be great.

Mike

[PalmGuyWC]

Mike,

I have heard that S Yapa and mauritiformis are the two most cold sensitive of the Sabals. S. mauritiformis is the most cold sensitive of the Sabals and near tropical.

Dick

[osideterry]

I don't have any of my books here at work, but doesn't yapa have a bigger spread? That would be a cultural difference significant for fitting into a yard. Other than that they are practically interchangeable. I think mauritiiformis might be slightly faster in our area.

[osideterry]

I just have a small mauritiiformis (2ft tall) and no good photos, but here is the Sabal yapa at the Quail Garden.

[Surf Guy]

I just have a small mauritiiformis (2ft tall) and no good photos, but here is the Sabal yapa at the Quail Garden.

Thanks for the picture. I really like the long petioles.

[Collectorpalms]

Sabal mauritiiformis starts showing leaf damage between 25-27. I would say they are NOT truly tropical as I have them in College Station, Texas. We are semi-arid to subtropical. I saw one at a Marriott Hotel in Boca Raton in 2007 and decided I had to have one.

Best Regards,

Ryan Fuller

www.collectorpalms.com

Edited June 25, 2009 by Collectorpalms

[ghar41]

I have two S. mauritiformis plants that I bought as five gallon plants 4 or 5 years ago. They must be hybrids or something because both of them sailed through 24.9 F in January '07. They had 5% leaf damage but that may have been because they were too dry at the time. They are next to my swimming pool so maybe the water moderated the cold air (?) I don't know, but I keep hearing how cold sensitive this plant is and mine has never showed much if any cold/ freeze damage. They like filtered sun/shade so they'll probably bite it when they break through the canopy.

They sure are knockout palms for now though.