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Sabal minor 'Spock'

Bigfish

By Bigfish
in COLD HARDY PALMS

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Bigfish Mentor

Bigfish

Posted
Posted

I came upon an unusual group of Sabal minor today in Southern Georgia (USA). There were several palms close together that looked all alike. Every leaf was split very deeply right down the middle so that it almost looked like 2 leaves. The inner leaf segments are fused together pretty good, but the outer leaf segments are cut almost down to the hastula and floppy. Other Sabal minor nearby looked normal. These palms of course had no seeds. I hope Trekkies will appreciate my name for this palm, lol!

SabalminorSpock1_zpse7ac93e1.jpg

SabalminorSpock3_zpscdd02597.jpg

SabalminorSpock2_zpsf256e9f0.jpg

These pictures were taken with my phone camera, which has a corrupted SD card and most of the time will not save the pictures correctly, if at all. I had just used up the batteries in my regular camera less than an hour before, of course!

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Bigfish Mentor

Bigfish

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Another palm about 50-100 feet away from these palms had bifid leaves, but was an adult and producing seeds. Naturally, there were no seeds left on the spent inflorescence. I took 2 pictures with my phone camera, and apparently only one was saved, and it was only a portion of the picture that got saved unfortunately. If you looks closely, you will see the infructescence in the right center of the picture in front of a leaf.

bifidsabalminor_zpsa545eb98.jpg

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Zeeth Grand Master

Zeeth

Posted
Posted

Interesting! The palm that you say is producing seeds is reminiscent of Sabal lisa from what I can see. Did you end up collecting any seeds? If not, I would try to find out the GPS coordinates for people closer to the population to check it out. If they end up being something special it'd be pretty neat!

Keith 

Palmetto, Florida (10a) and Tampa, Florida (9b/10a)

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Bigfish Mentor

Bigfish

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There were no seeds left on it. I found one old, dried up seed on one of the other palms, but I don't have too high hopes for it, LOL. I'll have to go back in October this year. It did look like a Sabal 'Lisa', and I want one!

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Bigfish Mentor

Bigfish

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OK, this is the full, corrupted picture that my phone camera saved. The bottom left portion should be on the bottom right side, as you can see the leaf matches up over there. I tried to draw a circle in red where the top of the spent infructescence is, but it barely shows up. Stupid phone. And damn you, camera batteries for dying!

bifidsabalminorfull_zps8d0b269f.jpg

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Alicehunter2000 Grand Master

Alicehunter2000

Posted
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The name is a winner too

David Simms zone 9a on Highway 30a

200 steps from the Gulf in NW Florida

30 ft. elevation and sandy soil

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Stevetoad Grand Master

Stevetoad

Posted
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The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few (or the one). And I think we need some seeds..

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"it's not dead it's sleeping"

Santee ca, zone10a/9b

18 miles from the ocean

avg. winter 68/40.avg summer 88/64.records 113/25

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PalmatierMeg Grand Master

PalmatierMeg

Posted
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Very cool. I would try any/all of them. Definitely plan a return trip next fall. You should have no trouble selling them to cover your expenses and then some.

I have S. minor Blountstown Dwarf and Wakulla Dwarf I'm hoping will bloom in the future.

Meg

Palms of Victory I shall wear

Cape Coral (It's Just Paradise)
Florida
Zone 10A on the Isabelle Canal
Elevation: 15 feet

I'd like to be under the sea in an octopus' garden in the shade.

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WestCoastGal Grand Master

WestCoastGal

Posted
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Love the look and the name. Your third photo reminds me of green butterflies. You have a great eye Frank for spotting these. How tall would you guess those are? What a time for the battery to die in combination with the bad SD card.

Meg, we were going to order those same 2 minors last year but have held off until this year. How tall are yours now?

Zone 9b (formerly listed as Zone 9a); Sunset 14

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Alicehunter2000 Grand Master

Alicehunter2000

Posted
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How difficult to dig Sabal minor? Are they as difficult as S. palmetto?

David Simms zone 9a on Highway 30a

200 steps from the Gulf in NW Florida

30 ft. elevation and sandy soil

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Brad Mondel Grand Master

Brad Mondel

Posted
Posted

Sabal Minor is really hard to dig out or move because of the underground stem.

Los Angeles, CA and Myrtle Beach, SC.

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NorthFlpalmguy Proficient

NorthFlpalmguy

Posted
Posted (edited)

Very nice. They're so common here that I never look at them much. I only look for double headed sabals.

Sabal minor is actually the toughest I've tried to transplant. I have done it, but it's not worth the time.

Edited by bbrantley
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_Keith Grand Master

_Keith

Posted
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Live long and prosper.

In my post I sometimes express "my" opinion. Warning, it may differ from "your" opinion. If so, please do not feel insulted, just state your own if you wish. Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or any other damages

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PalmatierMeg Grand Master

PalmatierMeg

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Debbie, the term "rock garden palm" truly applies to these dwarfs. My largest/oldest Blountstown is 18" tall and 24" wide. Very cute and easy to find space for.

Meg

Palms of Victory I shall wear

Cape Coral (It's Just Paradise)
Florida
Zone 10A on the Isabelle Canal
Elevation: 15 feet

I'd like to be under the sea in an octopus' garden in the shade.

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Bigfish Mentor

Bigfish

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The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few (or the one). And I think we need some seeds..

Ha! Figured some Trekkies might like that name, plus it seems to fit. I'll be back later this year for seeds.

The name is a winner too

Thanks! Lisa needed a break, lol. She's tired.

Love the look and the name. Your third photo reminds me of green butterflies. You have a great eye Frank for spotting these. How tall would you guess those are? What a time for the battery to die in combination with the bad SD card.

Meg, we were going to order those same 2 minors last year but have held off until this year. How tall are yours now?

Thank you! Well I am a horticulturist, so I always have my eye out for anything out of the ordinary. I would guess they are 3-4 feet tall to the top of the leaves, give or take. I still wonder how in the heck that picture ended up the way it did, LOL...it's like the Loch Ness Monster.

How difficult to dig Sabal minor? Are they as difficult as S. palmetto?

I have only successfully transplanted a Sabal minor larger than a strap-leaf seedling one time. I dug one out of the UT Trial Gardens in Knoxville, TN one time because they were renovating. I dug a MASSIVE trench around it and very deep, then kept chipping away at the soil underneath the root ball until it basically fell over. It lived and did fine until my ex-girlfriend mowed over it after I moved out, lol. You can't even nick the base of the palm with the shovel or it is a goner. They are such a pain to transplant, I would never do it again for anything but a very special S. minor, and only if that S. minor didn't pass on its traits through its seed.

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Scot from SC Collaborator

Scot from SC

Posted
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That is a great find Frank! Sabal minor has so much variety, and I think it is one of the most overlooked palms. I found a large native forest of minor in my county years back, and I want to take some time soon to walk among them again and see if I can spot any different ones. Please let us know if you do eventually get some seed from these beauties.

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Tropicdoc Veteran

Tropicdoc

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Posted

I guess 'Lisa" is some sort of recessive trait or spontaneous mutation that can affect any Sabal.

Thanks for the info about digging Sabal minor... I want a couple for my yard and they grow all over around here. But, I don't think I will try to go dig one now.

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Bigfish Mentor

Bigfish

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That is a great find Frank! Sabal minor has so much variety, and I think it is one of the most overlooked palms. I found a large native forest of minor in my county years back, and I want to take some time soon to walk among them again and see if I can spot any different ones. Please let us know if you do eventually get some seed from these beauties.

Scot, I think I remember when you found those. Didn't you post them on the other board? I'm sure that was fun. The funny thing was I was really there looking for Rhapidophyllum, and there was lots of it, but these little minors jumped out at me. I'm sorry my camera batteries had died earlier! Next time...

I guess 'Lisa" is some sort of recessive trait or spontaneous mutation that can affect any Sabal.

Thanks for the info about digging Sabal minor... I want a couple for my yard and they grow all over around here. But, I don't think I will try to go dig one now.

I have heard of a Rhapidophyllum with entire leaves also! Someone posted a Chamaerops with the trait as well once, so apparently it isn't unique to Sabal.

Best bet if you want a S. minor is to buy one or start one from seed if you have patience. They are so painfully slow though.

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Moose Grand Master

Moose

Posted
Posted

I'd acquire a couple of "spocks" if they were available - I'd have to grow one for Keith that would eventually make it up his way. I'm pretty crowded here but I'd make room for the other here since they tolerate shade.

post-1729-0-36247000-1420889387_thumb.jp

Coral Gables, FL 8 miles North of Fairchild USDA Zone 10B

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  • 5 months later...
Bigfish Mentor

Bigfish

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Paid a visit this past weekend to these palms, and couldn't find the same palm with bifid leaves! I got a little lost, truth be told, LOL. I really need a handheld GPS unit, and will have one when I go back in October! I did find ANOTHER Sabal minor with mature, (almost) bifid leaves though, and a bunch of others with characteristics similar to the palms in the first few pictures on this thread.

This palm had a inflorescence on it, not pictured, and had just finished flowering.

Sabal%20minor%20with%20bifid%20leaves_zp

Sabal%20minor%20with%20bifid%20leaves%20

Sabal%20minor%20with%20bifid%20leaves%20

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Alberto Grand Master

Alberto

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I agree! It´s a nice name for a very interesting Sabal minor! Congratulations for having your eyes open during your trips! :winkie:

Carambeí, 2nd tableland of the State Paraná , south Brazil.

Alt:1030m. Native palms: Queen, B. eriospatha, B. microspadix, Allagoptera leucocalyx , A.campestris, Geonoma schottiana, Trithrinax acanthocoma. Subtr. climate, some frosty nights. No dry season. August: driest month. Rain:1700mm

 

I am seeking for cold hardy palms!

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Bigfish Mentor

Bigfish

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Ha! Not sure about the name. I am open to suggestions! I'll find it again this fall. Somehow I made it to the other side of the creek this time, and that's why I got a little lost.

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Brad Mondel Grand Master

Brad Mondel

Posted
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Is it legal to dig plants from the wild?

I like the name 'Spock' !

Los Angeles, CA and Myrtle Beach, SC.

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Bigfish Mentor

Bigfish

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Is it legal to dig plants from the wild?

I like the name 'Spock' !

Yes, but you should get permission from the landowner first!

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  • 3 years later...

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