2-headed Sabal palmetto

[Eric in Orlando]

I have posted about this specimen before, hre are some updated photos.

This Sabal palmetto is growing in the woods here at Leu Gardens. It was a wild sprouted palm probably "planted" by a bird. It sprouted about 12 years ago. After it was several years old and about 4ft. tall, the growth started to twist and look deformed. Eventually it straightened out and a 2nd growing point emerged, it split underground. If you didn't know better it looks like 2 seperate palms growing together. Its doing its best Hyphaene impression.

[Mark Heath]

It does look like two individual palms! Thanks for the heads up! I would love to have some of mine do that!!

[Bob Johnson]

Very cool! I have seen some pics of them branching, but never underground.

[Eric in Orlando]

I wonder how many other double trunked ones you see around have done this?

[Kris]

Nice stills...

love,

Kris

[Ken Johnson]

I have seen the new leaf contort and sprout out the side of the crown in youg sabals of many specie. Not the same as splitting when young but it is a wierd phenom. The palm looks like it lost its central growing point but then a "new" palm emerges in the pot.

I bet we could force Sabal to split easily. Any one want to give it a try? Just drive a wedge of some kind into the central growing point and leave it there for a while. That sould do it unless the meristem pushes the wedge out. In this case you have not whacked it hard enough!

[Eric in Orlando]

We have a Caryota bacsonensis that did that, the growth got distorted then a new growing point emerged from the side of the palm.

[SubTropicRay]

Eric,

That is very strange. Is that in the palm section?

Ray

[Eric in Orlando]

No, its back in the far south part of the property, along the fence. Behind the gazebo in the woods where that group of tall Livistona chinensis are.