I was watching a video of a family that went to Palmetto State Park, Texas, and at the start of the video it shows them driving down the road at the park, and at the time 0:30 you can see a large Sabal palm off to the left side. I am really bad with Texas palms. Do you think it is a Sabal mexicana? Video link https://youtu.be/W4arW3KJUic

 

I wasn't able to watch this video, but I'm pretty sure I know which Sabal you are asking about.  I used to work in the Texas State Parks headquarters and visited the park several years ago and asked park superintendent Todd Imboden about it.  He's no palm expert and didn't plant it, but I came to the conclusion that it was in fact Sabal mexicana.  The parks are pretty good about only planting Texas native plants.  At the time I visited I had no idea that native strands of S. minor were that far west.  I had seen native habitats in NE Houston swampy area before.  It's really a nice park as you can probably tell from this video!  I don't live too far from there again, so I'll have to make another visit over there.

Jon

I need to go there! Yeah, I was also thinking Sabal mexicana.

Edited January 13, 20188 yr by PalmTreeDude

It certainly looks like Sabal Mexicana, or maybe the Brazoria County Palm, which is supposedly a Sabal that is intermediate between the Dwarf Palm (Sabal minor) and the Texas Palm (Sabal Mexicana), that is predominantly found in Brazoria County on the southwest side of Houston, and possibly some in some neighboring areas, though recently when in the Rockport and Aransas Pass area, I saw what appeared to be a stand of the Brazoria County Palms and some Dwarf Palms too, both growing in a pretty sandy area, which surprised me, because I thought they only grew in moister areas to the north and east and only in a more rich soil than almost pure sand!

John

Down in those parts they like to refer to them as Sabal texana. I have seen them labeled as such in southern Texas.