Cape Hatteras Wild/Naturalized Sabal Palmetto.

[Mr.SamuraiSword]

Someome sent me these Sabal Palmettos from the Park Land Coastal Reserve in Buxton on Hatteras Island. These were both in the middle of the coastal woods.  Any possibility that first one is a remainder of the now gone Native Population? I've heard Bald Head Island palmettos grow much slower than Native Florida ones and those of course grow very slow. Could this possibly have been a seedling during the time when the native sabal palmetto on the island were cut down for their edible bud?

[knikfar]

I don't know what the story is with these but it makes me really excited about the BHI sabals I'm going to plant in my yard here in Raleigh. 

[Cupguy]

I've noticed more and more sabals being planted in my area here in Gaston County, NC.  There's one in particular that is at least 45 years old that was the first palmetto I can ever remember seeing so far from the coast.  

[LeonardHolmes]

My guess is that it's naturalized from landscape Sabals brought in from Florida.  I guess there's no way to really tell.  Gary Hollar told me that he got permission from the Bald Head Island Preserve to collect seeds from deep woods so that he would not be collecting seeds with Florida DNA.  Evidently businesses on Bald Head regularly import Florida trees like everyone else.   

[VBpalms]

Outer Banks writer Kip Tabb (not necessarily a plant expert, but certainly a historian) has stated in articles that "there are a few (Sabal palmettos) in Buxton woods near the lighthouse, but north of that, nothing." Surely, he is referring to native occurrences, since there are a multitude of plantings north of Cape Hatteras on the Outer Banks all the way to and including Virginia Beach, which would be obvious to even the casual observer. 

[knikfar]

On 6/16/2021 at 4:56 PM, Cupguy said:

I've noticed more and more sabals being planted in my area here in Gaston County, NC.  There's one in particular that is at least 45 years old that was the first palmetto I can ever remember seeing so far from the coast.  

If a palmetto can survive in Gaston County for 45 years, there really should be a LOT more of them here in Raleigh. 

[WSimpson]

I hear a lot of talk  about DNA and the  testing of  plants but I don't ever hear much about it being done and results from tests . Is it hard to do ? I feel like there are enough palm nuts  around that if it were easily done there would be testing all the time and the results would be disseminated  for all to see , especially the results of interesting finds like the Bald Head Palmettos vs the Florida ones , and other cool finds in all kinds of plants .

In other words I feel like I should be able to Google DNA results for certain plants and see the differences . Where is my thinking going wrong ?

Interesting find there on Hatteras Island .

Will

Edited July 6, 2022 by Will Simpson

[Chester B]

2 hours ago, Will Simpson said:

I hear a lot of talk  about DNA and the  testing of  plants but I don't ever hear much about it being done and results from tests . Is it hard to do ? I feel like there are enough palm nuts  around that if it were easily done there would be testing all the time and the results would be disseminated  for all to see , especially the results of interesting finds like the Bald Head Palmettos vs the Florida ones , and other cool finds in all kinds of plants .

In other words I feel like I should be able to Google DNA results for certain plants and see the differences . Where is my thinking going wrong ?

Interesting find there on Hatteras Island .

Will

MONEY -  Who's going to fork over hundreds if not more to do a genetic analysis and comparison just because you're curious.  Unless someone is working on a thesis or something of that matter it's not going to happen.