Any Cold Hardy Palms Smaller Than This?

[Allen]

Here is my Sabal minor 'Bountstown dwarf' flowering

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/eVEGtd5lk2o

 

[Leelanau Palms]

Cool and adorable!

[Ben G.]

7 hours ago, Allen said:

Here is my Sabal minor 'Bountstown dwarf' flowering

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/eVEGtd5lk2o

 

Wow! That is incredibly small to be flowering. That is indeed a dwarf variety.

[PalmatierMeg]

Blountstown Dwarf is a nifty uber dwarf Sabal minor that grows true from seed. My mother palm from PDN planted ca. 2010 has been the same 18” tall x 30” wide for many years. Very easy palm to cultivate.

Sabal minor Wakulla Dwarf is the same size as Blountstown but hails from 70 miles away. I’ve it to be more difficult to grow and I don’t know why. I have 2 surviving mother plants that flower less often, set fewer, less robust seeds. Seedlings are prone to die off. So, while I have numerous Blountstown descendants, I have only two of the original 3 Wakulla Dwarfs.

About a year ago, I read a topic about an uber dwarf minor the size of a sandwich plate that produces seed somewhere in TX. The exact location of habitat is being kept strictly secret to prevent poachers from decimating native habitat in efforts to collect and market this palm. I’ve come across several PTers over the years who travel to different parts of the world to poach palm seeds from habitat to fatten their wallets. And don’t forget the people who gladly jump in to scarf up a share.

[Dwarf Fan]

6 hours ago, PalmatierMeg said:

Blountstown Dwarf is a nifty uber dwarf Sabal minor that grows true from seed. My mother palm from PDN planted ca. 2010 has been the same 18” tall x 30” wide for many years. Very easy palm to cultivate.

Sabal minor Wakulla Dwarf is the same size as Blountstown but hails from 70 miles away. I’ve it to be more difficult to grow and I don’t know why. I have 2 surviving mother plants that flower less often, set fewer, less robust seeds. Seedlings are prone to die off. So, while I have numerous Blountstown descendants, I have only two of the original 3 Wakulla Dwarfs.

About a year ago, I read a topic about an uber dwarf minor the size of a sandwich plate that produces seed somewhere in TX. The exact location of habitat is being kept strictly secret to prevent poachers from decimating native habitat in efforts to collect and market this palm. I’ve come across several PTers over the years who travel to different parts of the world to poach palm seeds from habitat to fatten their wallets. And don’t forget the people who gladly jump in to scarf up a share.

Meg, would that be the ‘Liberty TX’ Dwarf?

Allen, as my name implies I am a huge fan of dwarf palms I have done tons of research the only other one as small would be the ‘Chipola, FL’ Dwarf.

 

[ahosey01]

7 hours ago, PalmatierMeg said:

Blountstown Dwarf is a nifty uber dwarf Sabal minor that grows true from seed. My mother palm from PDN planted ca. 2010 has been the same 18” tall x 30” wide for many years. Very easy palm to cultivate.

Sabal minor Wakulla Dwarf is the same size as Blountstown but hails from 70 miles away. I’ve it to be more difficult to grow and I don’t know why. I have 2 surviving mother plants that flower less often, set fewer, less robust seeds. Seedlings are prone to die off. So, while I have numerous Blountstown descendants, I have only two of the original 3 Wakulla Dwarfs.

About a year ago, I read a topic about an uber dwarf minor the size of a sandwich plate that produces seed somewhere in TX. The exact location of habitat is being kept strictly secret to prevent poachers from decimating native habitat in efforts to collect and market this palm. I’ve come across several PTers over the years who travel to different parts of the world to poach palm seeds from habitat to fatten their wallets. And don’t forget the people who gladly jump in to scarf up a share.

I can appreciate this approach because of what can happen, but also I think this is one of those double-edged swords that can ultimately result in a diminished likelihood of the palm being preserved because of how cultivation can save them.

Case in point - Tahina.

[PalmatierMeg]

1 hour ago, Dwarf Fan said:

Meg, would that be the ‘Liberty TX’ Dwarf?

Allen, as my name implies I am a huge fan of dwarf palms I have done tons of research the only other one as small would be the ‘Chipola, FL’ Dwarf.

 

Perhaps. I don’t know. The person who posted habitat photos did not indicate where in TX they were. I have 3 Chipola Dwarf, one which flowered for the first time a year or two ago but aborted all its seeds. Not surprising given the abominable weather we’ve had the past couple years. Chipola is a bit larger than Blountstown, about 2’x3’

There is also another slightly larger dwarf: High Spring Dwarf in NE FL, also Sabal minor ‘Welfare’ named for the TX ghost town close by its habitat. I have one of each.

Back in 2009 a forum member in Italy sent me seeds of what he said was Sabal Etonia. It has produced a limited number of seeds and is no bigger than 2’x3’. Consensus on PT was that it was Sabal minor, not etonia. How an uber dwarf Sabal minor ended up in Italy puzzles me. By the time I figured things out my generous benefactor had drifted away into cyberspace.

A couple years ago I was contacted by a new forum member from NC who told me he had discovered a Sabal minor Dwarf that he called ‘Manteo’.  He presented his plan to cultivate this new uber dwarf for posterity. Sounded promising until he admitted his seeds hadn’t germinated. “I’ll get it done and then….,” he swore then disappeared into cyberspace like the guy from Italy.

[Allen]

Frond size comparison.  Look at the size of the yardstick in general on each

Sabal minor "Blountstown dwarf"

Sabal minor 'Baker"  Regular sized minor

[Dwarf Fan]

9 hours ago, PalmatierMeg said:

Perhaps. I don’t know. The person who posted habitat photos did not indicate where in TX they were. I have 3 Chipola Dwarf, one which flowered for the first time a year or two ago but aborted all its seeds. Not surprising given the abominable weather we’ve had the past couple years. Chipola is a bit larger than Blountstown, about 2’x3’

There is also another slightly larger dwarf: High Spring Dwarf in NE FL, also Sabal minor ‘Welfare’ named for the TX ghost town close by its habitat. I have one of each.

Back in 2009 a forum member in Italy sent me seeds of what he said was Sabal Etonia. It has produced a limited number of seeds and is no bigger than 2’x3’. Consensus on PT was that it was Sabal minor, not etonia. How an uber dwarf Sabal minor ended up in Italy puzzles me. By the time I figured things out my generous benefactor had drifted away into cyberspace.

A couple years ago I was contacted by a new forum member from NC who told me he had discovered a Sabal minor Dwarf that he called ‘Manteo’.  He presented his plan to cultivate this new uber dwarf for posterity. Sounded promising until he admitted his seeds hadn’t germinated. “I’ll get it done and then….,” he swore then disappeared into cyberspace like the guy from Italy.

Meg, if you ever have any seeds from the Chipola please keep me in mind, I have been searching high and low and NOBODY has any seeds or seedlings of the Chipola Dwarf! ☹️

Here is another RARE Sabal minor Dwarf (I have NEVER seen one of these available anywhere either):

Sabal ‘Castor, LA’ Dwarf

Height: 24” tall

https://www.plantdelights.com/products/sabal-minor-castor-dwarf

[PalmatierMeg]

5 hours ago, Dwarf Fan said:

Meg, if you ever have any seeds from the Chipola please keep me in mind, I have been searching high and low and NOBODY has any seeds or seedlings of the Chipola Dwarf! ☹️

Here is another RARE Sabal minor Dwarf (I have NEVER seen one of these available anywhere either):

Sabal ‘Castor, LA’ Dwarf

Height: 24” tall

https://www.plantdelights.com/products/sabal-minor-castor-dwarf

I’ll let you know about Chipola. The last couple years very few of my palms have produced seeds for me. This year is not promising so far. Major hurricanes throw Nature into a swivet.

I have Castor Dwarf on my watch list but don’t hold out much hope for it. PDN sometimes lists Sabal seeds as “one hit/two hit wonders”, archives them then never offers them again. If they come up with new cultivars you have to bite the bullet to order or miss out entirely. I check their online catalog regularly. Currently they have Sabal rosei ‘Augusta’ available to their Botanical Garden members only; I’m not one.

Wakulla Dwarf has been available several times but is currently archived. Trickier than Blountstown but well worth trying

 

[Dwarf Fan]

2 hours ago, PalmatierMeg said:

I’ll let you know about Chipola. The last couple years very few of my palms have produced seeds for me. This year is not promising so far. Major hurricanes throw Nature into a swivet.

I have Castor Dwarf on my watch list but don’t hold out much hope for it. PDN sometimes lists Sabal seeds as “one hit/two hit wonders”, archives them then never offers them again. If they come up with new cultivars you have to bite the bullet to order or miss out entirely. I check their online catalog regularly. Currently they have Sabal rosei ‘Augusta’ available to their Botanical Garden members only; I’m not one.

Wakulla Dwarf has been available several times but is currently archived. Trickier than Blountstown but well worth trying

 

Thanks Meg, I did manage to locate a couple Wakulla Dwarfs (Dwarves?) from the John Fairey Garden and I check PDN regularly! 
 

Allen, if you are looking for something OTHER than Sabal minor Ultra Mini Dwarfs, these are going to be even HARDER to find but have you seen the “grass” Butias or the “Ultra Mini Dwarf” Butias??? (If anyone has any of these available please PM me).

Grass Butia: 

Marmorii 12”

Exospadix 12”

Butia Ultra Mini Dwarfs:

Campicola 16”

Leptospatha 18” 

Microspadix 1’ 11”

EDIT: Meg, I found the Texas Dwarf thread it is A ‘Liberty County’ Dwarf (I hope someone makes them available at some point they are so TINY and so CUTE!):

 

[PalmatierMeg]

I hope someone responsible is protecting and preserving this variety because I can almost guarantee there are people planning to strip Liberty County of its unique Sabal. Poachers have likely decimated several species of rare Sabal spp on Caribbean islands. The governments of those islands placed bans on collecting native plants but poachers do it anyway or they pay native residents to do the dirty work for them. Liberty County is a lot closer than the Caribbean and more vulnerable. Because, sad to say, American palm "lovers" are the greedy culprits behind much of this poaching.

[Swolte]

9 hours ago, PalmatierMeg said:

I hope someone responsible is protecting and preserving this variety because I can almost guarantee there are people planning to strip Liberty County of its unique Sabal. Poachers have likely decimated several species of rare Sabal spp on Caribbean islands. The governments of those islands placed bans on collecting native plants but poachers do it anyway or they pay native residents to do the dirty work for them. Liberty County is a lot closer than the Caribbean and more vulnerable. Because, sad to say, American palm "lovers" are the greedy culprits behind much of this poaching.

Yes, the exact location of these are not disclosed.