Sabal ID

[Chris Chance]

I found this palm at a nursery near by and not sure of the exact species but I couldn't pass it up. Is it palmetto or something else? 

[Keith N Tampa (ex SoJax)]

Probably won't know for years.  But if someone said S minor, I wouldn't argue.  That's the problem with Sabals.  Most look so much alike that unless you have a known species for comparison, it's nearly impossible to tell.   I take it Moreno Valley is in CA?  That means you are more likely to find S "Riverside", uresana, pumos, etc than we are here in FL.  

[Chris Chance]

Thanks for the input. If it is minor then I know where I want to plant it. I agree they look so much alike at a young age that it'sdifficult to know the difference. Yes I'm in California and really Sabal isn't commonly found around here unless you go to a palm nursery that specializes is rare palms.

[redbeard917]

The other thing that makes it difficult is that I am not familiar with how Sabals look grown in pots with competition from other palms or even under shade cloth, because they're rarely sold here. All the Sabals I've seen that size are growing in swamps, fence lines, up through hedges, etc, which have a slightly different growth habit.

I'm not saying that palm is unquestionably a minor, but it does appear to have fairly flat leaves, stiff leaflets and a characteristic central split.

[Chris Chance]

Okay well I'm going to assume it's minor at this point. I didn't have one before and this one is already at a good size. I got it for $12 so I feel like it was a good find. I think I'll plant it soon. Possibly this weekend so I'll post some pictures when it's done.

[Keith N Tampa (ex SoJax)]

I hope we got it right.  S. minor is probably (depending on how you define S. minor) the only Sabal that would work in a tight spot.