"Wild" Sabal ID Please

[GoatLockerGuns]

I was out hiking in the Texas Hill Country near the town of Grey Forest about a week ago, when I came across this palm growing in the middle of nowhere. There were no other palms around, and Sabal mexicana does not reportedly grow this far north in the wild. I don't think it is really a "wild" palm tree, since it was located near a hiking trail in Malda Park; it probably was either planted by someone who hikes the trail, or brought by a bird or other animal from an ornamental palm someone is growing in the San Antonio area. Sabal palmetto, Sabal Mexicana, Washingtonia sp., and other cold hardy palms are common in this part of Texas.

 

I think this is a Sabal sp., but I was hoping someone here could identify the exact species for me.

 

BTW...it was growing as ground cover in near total shade. Very little direct sunlight (if any) was penetrating the Quercus fusiformis and Juniperus ashei thick forest canopy. The palm looked like it was doing very well in this environment. Most of San Antonio is listed as a 9a Zone; however, given the location of this palm in the Hill Country, I'd say it was in a solid 8b Zone.

 

Rich  

[Chris Chance]

It has the Sabal minor look to me but it must be in deep shade so it's super stretched.

[Pal Meir]

Hmmm … , this leaf looks to me more like S palmetto:

[Austinpalm]

Sabal minor is native to Central Texas, including San Antonio. It can be found around most of the streams here in Austin..

[Laaz]

I would agree it's sabal minor. Very skinny & stretched out.

[PalmatierMeg]

Sabal minor. its leaves are less costapalmate than most Sabals.

[PalmTreeDude]

It looks like a Sabal minor, for some reason the fronds make me think Sabal palmetto.

[GoatLockerGuns]

2 hours ago, Austinpalm said:

Sabal minor is native to Central Texas, including San Antonio. It can be found around most of the streams here in Austin..

Wow...I had no idea that Sabal minor was native to the Hill Country.  I have been hiking all over the Hill Country west of San Antonio; this is the first time I have found a Sabal growing in the wild. Come to think of it, there was a dry streambed nearby.

 

Thanks for all of the feedback guys!

[PalmTreeDude]

1 hour ago, GoatLockerGuns said:

Wow...I had no idea that Sabal minor was native to the Hill Country.  I have been hiking all over the Hill Country west of San Antonio; this is the first time I have found a Sabal growing in the wild. Come to think of it, there was a dry streambed nearby.

 

Thanks for all of the feedback guys!

If you have a some land, with woods, or a field, you should plant a bunch out there and let them multiply on their own, and you have a scrub palms forest! They are cool palms indeed. 

Edited September 8, 2016 by PalmTreeDude

[GoatLockerGuns]

Just now, PalmTreeDude said:

If you have a some land, with woods, or a field, you should plant a bunch out there and let them multiply on their own, and you have a scrub palms forest! They are cool palms indeed. 

I actually have three Sabal minor seedlings that sprouted from seed back in February. They are slow growers; however, I plan on putting them in the ground when they get a little bigger. I also have one Sabal palmetto (about 3 years old) and 2 Sabal uresana (2 weeks old) that I plan on planting in the future (along with a bunch of other non-Sabal palms).

[Brad Mondel]

The threads hanging from those fronds indicate Sabal palmetto or mexicana.