The growth of my Sabal palm.

[Palm Tree lover]

Hello,

I have a young Sabal palmetto that I grow indoors. I was wondering how many years it will take my palmetto palm to develop a trunk? How long will it take for my palmetto palm to form mature fronds with palmate to costa palmate fronds?

Thanks!

 

[ZPalms]

56 minutes ago, Palm Tree lover said:

Hello,

I have a young Sabal palmetto that I grow indoors. I was wondering how many years it will take my palmetto palm to develop a trunk? How long will it take for my palmetto palm to form mature fronds with palmate to costa palmate fronds?

Thanks!

 

Growing a palmetto indoors will take impossibly forever, If you want it to form a trunk in your lifetime and I'm guessing you live somewhere that gets a lot of heat and sun then I'd get it into the ground as soon as possible. It seems to be already pushing out palmate frond but it will speed up and you will get them quicker outside in the ground

[Pal Meir]

Yes, potted Sabal palmetto is a very slow grower. Here in Germany I couldn't plant it outdoors. I gave the palm away in 2008 to an animal park (Weltvogelpark Walsrode).

[Jeff zone 8 N.C.]

Sabal palmetto wants to be planted in ground but can be maintained and will grow in a pot for a few years. In pots they are slower. The pictures posted by Pal Meir, above, show a size that is about as big as you should keep in a pot before planting in ground.  Not that you can not keep them in a pot it's just that they have a large root system that needs to spread out. They want sun, good soil and heat. They grow slower when young but once in ground and with an established root system, and a trunk starts to form, they speed up a lot.

[PalmatierMeg]

Sabals are not happy being houseplants. They want full sun and lots of heat, which you have. If you want it to thrive and grow a trunk in your lifetime, plant it outdoors where it can experience all day sun.

[Palm Tree lover]

12 hours ago, ZPalms said:

Growing a palmetto indoors will take impossibly forever, If you want it to form a trunk in your lifetime and I'm guessing you live somewhere that gets a lot of heat and sun then I'd get it into the ground as soon as possible. It seems to be already pushing out palmate frond but it will speed up and you will get them quicker outside in the ground

Hi ZPalms,

I live in central New Jersey a zone 6b. The climate isn’t favorable for the palmetto palm to thrive growing outside unless protected. I don’t plan on growing it outside and would like to keep it in a pot for the life of the palm.

Thanks!

[Palm Tree lover]

3 hours ago, Pal Meir said:

Yes, potted Sabal palmetto is a very slow grower. Here in Germany I couldn't plant it outdoors. I gave the palm away in 2008 to an animal park (Weltvogelpark Walsrode).

Hi Pal Meir,

That’s a gorgeous looking Sabal palm! Did you grow that palm from seed? I plan to keep it potted for the lifetime of the palm. I enjoy growing plants and palms in pots. Will it still survive for many years? I live in a cold climate that isn’t suitable for Sabal palmetto to grow outside all year. I may take the palm outdoors in the summer and take the palm back inside by September.

Thanks!

[Palm Tree lover]

Thank you everyone for your comments and advice! I hope my Sabal palmetto will thrive and grow for many years. I will give an update when I see more growth.

Edited April 30, 2023 by Palm Tree lover

[Pal Meir]

@Palm Tree lover Yes I grew that Sabal (as almost all of my palms) from seed.