Sabal palmetto in low desert heat

[fastfeat]

I'm out here in Palm Desert/La Quinta area now. I've seen a fair number of Bismarckia performing well here, and then I got to wondering about the (FL) ubiquitous Sabal palmetto. Anyone have experience with it in low desert extremes?

[DoomsDave]

SaBALS ARE tough!

("bleahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, ETC.")

I think they'll do well.

Maybe a bit of shade.

Dang, that's a change from FLorida to Palm Dessert . . . .

Come and visit one of these days? Come to a PSSC meeting?

[Alicehunter2000]

Sabals can handle the heat, but need lots of water and prefer (not require) dappled sunlight especially when not established. An ideal location...water-wise...is right next to a body of water (small pond etc.)...which I would imagine would be hard to come by in the desert. I would personally (if planting in the desert) amend your soil to give it more water holding capability. In Florida pure sand is not a problem because of the amount of rain we receive and the high water table in most areas...

Disclamer....No expert....just personal observations

[fastfeat]

SaBALS ARE tough!

("bleahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, ETC.")

I think they'll do well.

Maybe a bit of shade.

Dang, that's a change from FLorida to Palm Dessert . . . .

Come and visit one of these days? Come to a PSSC meeting?

Hey Dave--

I'm back in SoCal for awhile (I think...). Should be back in LA Co. next week. Finally got a computer and wheels again. Good to be wired and mobile again...

Edited November 1, 2010 by fastfeat

[AggiePalms]

I agree with Alicehunter; my experience is heat is no problem, but S. palmetto typically live in wet (sometimes flooded) environments, even though the habitat is often well draining. Maybe I would try some of the drier land Mexican Sabals such as S. rosei or S. uresana instead of S. palmetto. Both are very nice as well. I have small specimens of each, and they don't mind my generally dry summer weather conditions, so maybe a dry climate may be acceptable to them. Good luck, let us know.

[sonoranfans]

Having grown several sables in the sonoran desert(east of phoenix) I can offer some experience. I have grown sabal blackburniana(some call it palmetto), sabal bermudana, sabal minor, sabal uresana and sabal causiarum. I used drip irrigation(4 drippers per palm) and in modified clay soil I watered once a week, 50 gallons per palm very slowly(8 gallons/hr) to get more depth. My sabal blackburnianas had fans 6' across, so these were bigger fans than any sabals I have yet seen here in florida. Sables struggle at a young age in an arid desert clime, its best not to plant them out until they are 15 gallon size and then use overhead netting to prevent dessication in the heat. Sabals dont like full sun in the desert as they do not have the blue/grey leaves of the bismarckias that prevent radiative heating of the fronds by the reflection of light. Absorption of sunlight and the subsequent leaflet dessication in the dry heat is the major difference in the desert climate vs coastal more humid climes. Bismarcias are only surpassed by brahea armatas and hyphaene in their tolerance of 105-110F dry heat, they seem to like it and grow faster if they get enough water. In that kind of heat, sabals are stunted, they grow more slowly. My best sabal blackburniana was under queens and a large chinese elm(to the west), it was a terrific green and held ~25 fronds probably had just a 3 hours a day of direct morning sun. I had another one that was in more open sun(6hrs 8 am to 2PM), and the lower fronds bronzed every year from the summer sun, held only 12-15 fronds. In the desert its the late day sun that is the most damaging(dessicating) as the heat peaks at 5PM in summer. My sabal minor just didnt like the sun in AZ, it was the weakest of all and was burned repeatedly even though it only saw 3 hrs of mid day sun. The sabal uresana is a tough one, great in the desert as its blue fronds reflected alot of light. Grow an uresana and it will be much easier, but I'd still protect it from late day sun when young.

After moving to florida, I can truly appreciate the difference in conditions. The sun is much more harsh in the desert, this is an easy environment. I brought with me a 5 gallon sabal causiarum and it just loved the change of climate. The color of the palm shifted and it is so vibrant and happy now. It grows slowly as a causiarum do at a young age, but its showing an unmistakable blue tint that was not inevidence in arizona. I have attached a pic with my two sabal blackburnianas on the left benind the chairs under the queens. Note how the leftmost sabal is more bronzed from the sun. This was in march 2010, so the overhead shade(chinese elm) behind them (to the west) had not leafed out yet. In summer the shade from that tree to the west blocks the sky.

So, my advice is that if you are inland low desert, you have a very different climate than florida or coastal california. Sabals outside the blue uresana, will do best when protected from sun at an early age and when protected from late day sun through its life. I have had lots of "full sun" plantings cooked/killed in the desert, its become a bit of a joke with my wife and I. Good luck!

Tom

Edited November 1, 2010 by sonoranfans

[Takil-Explorer]

Maybe Nannorophs is a good palm for those dry hot areas!

Alexander

[fastfeat]

Thanks to all, esp Tom, for the responses. BTW, I didn't become a new landowner out here in SoCal, just sort of curious about their adaptability. If I plant S. palmetto, it's going to be in Florida...