Sabal Palmetto in Outer Banks NC

[Palmy Pal]

I have solid evidence of Sabal Palmetto growing in the outer banks. Specifically in Hatteras NC. I have seen them before in the wild years ago but didn’t take any pictures and I had regretted that ever since. So I decided to go back to the site to take pictures as solid proof they still exist on the island. I have indeed 100% confirmed these are Sabal Palmetto palms that are growing there. The palmettos were limited at the site and were in much smaller amounts than the known Sabal minor that exists in the same area. I plan on writing a article on this visit with pictures and more information. I will make a new topic for this article so things don’t get flooded out. Please try to ask questions and discuss the topic on this thread instead of the article thread to keep things separate. Expect some amazing pictures and information to come on this amazing palm. Expect the article to be posted no later than next week. But to give you a little sneak peak here’s one picture I took today 

[knikfar]

I can't say I'm surprised. When sabals grow so far north of Bald Head Island, with no winter protection at all, I've never understood why BHI is considered the northern most location where sabals occur naturally. 

[Sabal_Louisiana]

I have heard that Sabal palmetto existed there naturally in "the old days" and that there was a reintroduction program established some years ago. Maybe someone can verify on that.

The topic of Sabal palmetto growing around the Outer banks has been discussed on occasion before on this forum, with some posters supplying pictures, etc.  as evidence.

For example:

https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/54326-the-bald-head-island-most-northern-palm-myth/

https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/62713-cape-hatteras-wildnaturalized-sabal-palmetto/

So, what's odd is that most of the Sabals I've seen on Google Streetview that are landscape palms in that area always seem to look quite rough.

 

 

 

 

 

[Palmy Pal]

Yeah the sabals that look rough get eaten up from salt spray. And they are almost all from Florida so not as hardy. But the native palmettos here have no issue with the salt spray or the winters.