Sabal texensis

[Exotic Life]

Hi ...

Last spring i have planted a Sabal texensis, with no speers, only 5 leafes. Someone say to me try this, maybe he will grow back again or maybe not. So i have take the palm and plant him.

But what nobody know's was that we get so extremly hot summer. So the palm got some burned leafes. So i have to cut 2 of the 5 ... At the end of the summer i see 2 new speers are coming.

The "winter" was coming, and normally i must to place protection to keep him out of the rain. Because the palm killer here in the netherlands is not the frost but the wetness. But i have see i want to try it without protection.

In december i have got my first frost night that was not so much, 31.4F (-0,3). And it was mild again ... but we get a lot of wind and 3 strong storms in 3 weeks. After 2 storms he have got leaf damage, but after number 3 everthing what he haves was damaged.

After the storm on thursday 18 Januari, we get a cold period, the expected frost for the MO, DI, WO , DO , VR night's and tempeture's by day above freezing level.

I have got this ... it's not to bad!

MO 26.9F (-2,8C)

DI   28F (-2,2C)

WO 27.3F (-2,6C)

DO 28.2F (-2,1C)

And fryday night they don't expect any frost anymore ... so it's a palm with a story ... i can't wait when it's spring and see if the palm came true this winter unprotected.. We get some mild weather now again but also rain

Robbin

[Howeadypsis]

Palms look so fragile yet they constantly surprise me with their fortitude!

[Nigel]

Robbin, there is nothing in your weather forecast to trouble the palm.

Its not unusual to buy a palm grown in good conditions and to see the wind destroy it.

However, what you WILL see is that the palm will grow new wind resistant leaves next summer and next time the wind blows it will be much better prepared.

[Exotic Life]

(Nigel @ Jan. 26 2007,12:41)

QUOTE

Robbin, there is nothing in your weather forecast to trouble the palm.

Its not unusual to buy a palm grown in good conditions and to see the wind destroy it.

However, what you WILL see is that the palm will grow new wind resistant leaves next summer and next time the wind blows it will be much better prepared.

Nigel,

The only thing that can kill this palm ... is the wetness in combination with some frost...

But are you sure, if he grow more resistant leaves, next summer ... other palms in the garden have do this also. But the leaves are big again ... don't you think the leaves are be damaged again next time ... ?

Robbin

[alex_7b]

Robbin,

You do not say how the palm arrived to you.......

Small Sabals should be grown from seed and transplanted with NO root damage. Any damaged roots will die and must be regenerated.

Sabals are rather cold-tolerant, however they are still tropical in their origin. They require heat and water during the growing season.

S.texensis (S.mexicana) is a trunking palm about as cold hardy as Butia capitata. It is less hardy than S.palmetto.

[iamjv]

Robbin,

 I think your texensis will be just fine there in the Netherlands.  Here in Texas, where the texensis grows naturally, it grows in the coastal plain and can often have the combination of wet and cold weather.

 I think Nigel is right on the mark and you'll see new stronger fronds next year.  

Jv

[Kris]

Dear Robbin  

the fan palm in disscussion is it Sabal Mexicana_alais

Texas Sabal ?

i have germinated one from 10 seeds,i will try to post that

still.it is just 2 months old with one unopened leaf.

that palm in that picture looks preety week & drupy ?

is it too cold there.i was told that this palm need heat from

the texas & mexico desert region.it is going to have a tough

life in your climate,that too out in the open garden.

Love,

Kris(India).

[NBTX11]

Understand, folks, there are 2 "Texas Sabals".  It depends on which one you got.  There is the Sabal Mexicana.  A large Sabal, native to the lower Rio Grande Valley (at least), that looks like a bigger version of the Florida Sabal Palmetto, although old ones might be difficult to tell apart.  Sometimes this one is referred to as Sabal Mexicana, Texana, or Texensis, but it is really Sabal Mexicana.  It might not be quite as hardy as Sabal Palmetto, but this is questionable.

Second, and this is the true Texensis, is the Sabal X Texensis, or the Brazoria Palmetto, which is native to Brazoria County TX, near Houston.  Some say it is a hybrid between the Sabal Mexicana, and Sabal minor, where their paths crossed at one time.  Does form a trunk, unlike the sabal minor, but does not get as big as Sabal Mexicana.  Bigger native Texensis are said to be in the 25-30' range.  These are probably a bit hardier than Mexicana.

Lastly, there is the Sabal Minor, which is native in the wild to many parts of east and central TX, this is the shrubby small palmetto that is native to many parts of the south east US.  Hope this helps.

[Kris]

Dear Syersj  

Thanks for the attempt to explain that there are 2 such

distinct sabal varities.but i do not know what Rps.com has

sold.now since this sabal Sp stock is over iam unable to see

the link which would take us to that perticular page.

so iam still in doubt wheather i have sabal mexicana or

texas sabal.but only hope is that i get a stouter or bigger

sabal variety of the 2.

But Syersj iam totally confussed after reading your explaniation

thanks/Love,

Kris.

[NBTX11]

^^Kris, if I had to guess, I would guess you got Sabal Mexicana.  They are easier to come by, and that is what is mostly sold.  Was it labeled Sabal Mexicana when you bought them, if so, then it was probably accurate.  Sabal Mexicana is what most people refere to as "Texas Sabal".

[GREENHAND]

Hey guys this one was labeled s texana and has taken 18 deg a few times and in the 20 s several times with no damage. and seems drought tolerent.

[Kris]

Dear Syersj  

thanks for that explanation_i appreciate the pains you

have taken.

Dear Greenhand  

Can we all see a close up of that palm in bright daylight

or with the flash on mode_because iam unable to see

clearly all its features ?

Thanks/Love,

Kris.

[Bayou Bob]

Hi Robbin, Looks to me like what you've got is S. mexicana, not texensis. The picture GREENHAND posted looks like a true texensis, which is a natural hybrid with S. minor. We have a lot of all three available in California. I've noticed that seed from Texas of S. mexicana, also referred to as S. texana, produces bluer leaves, and seed from  Mexico produces greener leaves. Both, however, have the shape of the one you have. In your climate the lack of Summer heat is probably more of a problem than Winter cold and dampness. The Sabal that grows best in cooler areas of coastal California is S. bermudana; pure S. minor also does well. Hope this helps.

[Josh76]

Hi Robbin - what happened with this in the end? Did it come back the following summer and if so, what about the nightmare winter of 2010/11?

[Exotic Life]

My god. Look at my english that days....

It died before the winter 2010/2011 already, don't know the exact reason anymore. The last 4 winters has been horrible over here, so if it was not dead already it had somewhere in the last few years. This winter is much better and more how I was used too. Had no frost so far this winter, proberly the first light ones in the end of this week.

[robert Lauriault]

Tonight and tomorrow night should yield some data on cold hardiness of a number of palm species. In addition to the minima on these two nights, some palms that survive may ultimately  succumb due to the extended period of wet, freezing conditions.  My heartfelt empathy to palm lovers and nurserymen in Texas and Louisiana.

Robin Lauriault

Cross Creek, Florida