South Bethany Beach DE Sabal Minors

[GregVirginia7]

Wanted to show ya’ll the progress of my unprotected Sabal Minors in Delaware. I think they’ve been in-ground for 8-years or so. Both are the same size (statue in the 2nd pic is 18” for scale) Bases are about 12” in diameter and, of course, no visible trunk with Sabal Minor. There are “volunteers” popping up all over the place. Seems to me, this is a palm that could assimilate here with no problem. I have 3 seed sprouted offspring in my backyard in Virginia from these two. I’ll send pics of them at some point.

 

[SeanK]

Very nice, Greg. Any public plantings near you?

[GregVirginia7]

On 10/10/2024 at 7:46 PM, SeanK said:

Very nice, Greg. Any public plantings near you?

Not that I know of. There is a restaurant nearby called Cottage Cafe that has a few cold hardy varieties on their property but the number of volunteers in our yard may indicate it could be planted. Although I do recall seeing some publicly planted in the median on Coastal Hwy. 1 just up the way but they are all gone. Guess salt tolerance may be an issue? But I have to say, the backyard here is an ideal south facing plot and that probably helps a lot with survivability.

[Las Palmas Norte]

Might be time for a little guerilla gardening around town. 🤔 

[Alex High]

On 10/10/2024 at 1:45 PM, GregVirginia7 said:

Wanted to show ya’ll the progress of my unprotected Sabal Minors in Delaware. I think they’ve been in-ground for 8-years or so. Both are the same size (statue in the 2nd pic is 18” for scale) Bases are about 12” in diameter and, of course, no visible trunk with Sabal Minor. There are “volunteers” popping up all over the place. Seems to me, this is a palm that could assimilate here with no problem. I have 3 seed sprouted offspring in my backyard in Virginia from these two. I’ll send pics of them at some point.

 

On 10/10/2024 at 4:46 PM, SeanK said:

Very nice, Greg. Any public plantings near you?

Absolutely beautiful Sabal minor, thanks for sharing! I actually just moved to California for college but loved seeing a fellow D.C. area poster as well, love your palms there too. There are quite a few palms in the Bethany-Rehoboth area, including many recently planted. In time, maybe a few decades, I think it might become the new Virginia beach, that is the northernmost place on the East Coast where palms are "common." Of course it's colder there than VA Beach so bad freezes can take out Trachys as they have in the past, but there are some survivors around the area too, it's milder than D.C. for sure, being by the coast. Check these ones out, ShoeTELEVISION on YouTube goes there often and makes great videos cataloging local palms in the area (as well as other hardy palms in the Northeast), and he keeps finding more! I'm sure there are plenty more scattered around neighborhoods. Keep us posted on those beauties!

[SeanK]

I'm amazed by the agaves. They're quick to rot in cool damp weather. I suspect the cycads are potted, given the deep green and multiple flushes. One of the Butias looks a bit like Jubaea.

[RFun]

On 10/10/2024 at 4:45 PM, GregVirginia7 said:

Wanted to show ya’ll the progress of my unprotected Sabal Minors in Delaware. I think they’ve been in-ground for 8-years or so. Both are the same size (statue in the 2nd pic is 18” for scale) Bases are about 12” in diameter and, of course, no visible trunk with Sabal Minor. There are “volunteers” popping up all over the place. Seems to me, this is a palm that could assimilate here with no problem. I have 3 seed sprouted offspring in my backyard in Virginia from these two. I’ll send pics of them at some point.

 

Those are impressive photos for anywhere with Sabal minors.

[Las Palmas Norte]

1 hour ago, SeanK said:

I'm amazed by the agaves. They're quick to rot in cool damp weather. ...

All need decent drainage & it really depends on the species.  Here are a couple of mine on the Pacific coast, Canada. We're known for our wet damp winters.

 

[GregVirginia7]

Speaking of agaves…they make excellent companion plants for palms…both in pots and in-ground. The agave Ovatifolia is extremely cold hardy…even outdoes the Trachy in resilience, at least in my backyard.

 

[EJPalm05]

A bit late to this but here is my Sabal Minor in The Newark, NJ area planted in Spring 2022 that has never been protected.