Sabal etonia

[SoulofthePlace]

Sabal etonia in the Azores:

[Walt]

Sabal etonia are slow growers. Also, they are variable in the ultimate size they can get. I've never fertilized a Sabal etonia because they grow naturally on my property, but possibly if you fertilize yours it may grow faster and bigger than the normally would grow in habitat. I say this as Sabal palmetto palms also grow naturally on my property, but I fertilized flowers my wife planted around it, and the Sabal palmetto grew faster than Sabal palmetto that didn't get fertilizer. In fact, the new developing trunk actually got bigger in diameter than the existing trunk, starting from the year my wife started fertilizing the flowers around the palm. I hope you have success with your Sabal etonia.

I took this video of some of my Sabal etonia back in 2016, showing the variation in growth habit.

 

[SoulofthePlace]

Wow, these are beautiful etonias. I don't expect the to grow that tall as mine is planted right under a window, so they are allowed to grow 5 ft. tall. The brussel sprouts and the tomato plant are temporarily there.

[Walt]

2 hours ago, SoulofthePlace said:

Wow, these are beautiful etonias. I don't expect the to grow that tall as mine is planted right under a window, so they are allowed to grow 5 ft. tall. The brussel sprouts and the tomato plant are temporarily there.

Thanks. I will be interested to see how your Sabal etonia does in a different kind of climate. I suspect it will do fine. I know they evolved in a dry sand climate. They should be drought resistant. Certainly, the temperature and temperature range your S. etonia will see will not be as wide as what mine palms see. Mine will see much colder temperatures.

The Sabal etonia below is my second to biggest one. The first photo is when it was in flower. I cut off all the flower stalks as I don't care about seeds. The second photo I took this morning, from a different angle. I have many, many Sabal etonia, and some are much smaller, others in between size.

 

[palmsOrl]

As far as the native range of Sabal etonia, I know of a native stand in someone’s front yard in the neighborhoods just south of Leu Gardens.  There are also a few at my dad’s old house in Orange County.

This range map shows it is not officially vouchered for in Orange County, Fl.  How do you send in an official report to document a species?

[Walt]

Update: The Sabal etonia in my last two above photos died several months ago. I have no idea why. I drenched the bud and roots with two broad spectrum systemic fungicide, but it died.  Whatever caused it, it was rapid, say within six months time.

[palmsrgreat]

I've had this one a few years in ground just east of Dallas. Doesn't seem to miss a beat in the winter.

 

[palmsrgreat]

[jimmyt]

29 minutes ago, palmsrgreat said:

That one is looking good. Are you using any winter protection?

jiimyt

[palmsrgreat]

It has received no cover the last two years. First year had a frost blanket on it a few nights.

[OC2Texaspalmlvr]

3 hours ago, Walt said:

Update: The Sabal etonia in my last two above photos died several months ago. I have no idea why. I drenched the bud and roots with two broad spectrum systemic fungicide, but it died.  Whatever caused it, it was rapid, say within six months time.

That absolutely sucks Walt what a bummer =(

[Walt]

18 hours ago, OC2Texaspalmlvr said:

That absolutely sucks Walt what a bummer =(

Fortunately,  Sabal etonia are abundant on my property (being in the native growing range), but this was probably my biggest one.  I was hoping one day that it would finally develop some vertical trunk.

[Walt]

This is what's left of the Sabal etonia in my above two photos. There's a small Sabal etonia growing next to it, undoubtedly an offspring of the dead palm.  A hand pruner for scale in the second photo below.

[Walt]

So now the below Sabal etonia is my largest one. This one has a semi subterranean trunk. It's developing lots of seeds at present time.