Tall, vertical Saw Palmetto

[Ubuntwo]

Saw this when hiking through Myakka River State Park outside of Sarasota, a saw palmetto with a high, vertical trunk. I've seen plenty with a trunk going up maybe a few feet off the ground, but never as high or straight as this individual.

[Ubuntwo]

[PalmatierMeg]

They have to be ancient. I've seen other photos of trunking saw palmettos in parks or conservation areas where there is no threat of development. Thanks for the habitat photo.

[Moose]

2 hours ago, PalmatierMeg said:

They have to be ancient. I've seen other photos of trunking saw palmettos in parks or conservation areas where there is no threat of development. Thanks for the habitat photo.

Hundreds of years old. Sandy soil, little natural nutrients

 

[Palmsbro]

  Are you sure you didn't just find wild Acoelorraphe wrightii? I found one clump with and an individual 20ft tall growing naturally in South Pinellas. Does Acoelorraphe wrightii's native range go farther North than than current sources say?

[Palmsbro]

  On a side note, it would be pretty interesting if we have found a rare 'cultivar' of Serenoa repens.

[Walt]

On 3/21/2018, 5:00:33, Ubuntwo said:

Saw this when hiking through Myakka River State Park outside of Sarasota, a saw palmetto with a high, vertical trunk. I've seen plenty with a trunk going up maybe a few feet off the ground, but never as high or straight as this individual.

I found these Serenoa repens growing several miles from my house back in 2002. They were growing between a lake and orange grove, and so they were basically obscured. The orange grove was removed and a lakeside gated housing community was started. I discovered these palms when I drove into the development, looking at vacant lots for sale.  http://www.pacsoa.org.au/wiki/Serenoa_repens_(2)

[Estlander]

Found a bunch of tall Saw Palmettos in Sandestin. They’re everywhere around here but these are the tallest I’ve seen.

Some of these have an overall height around 15 feet with 8-9 feet of trunk. 

[Palmsbro]

On 3/26/2018, 8:21:02, Palmsbro said:

  Are you sure you didn't just find wild Acoelorraphe wrightii? I found one clump with and an individual 20ft tall growing naturally in South Pinellas. Does Acoelorraphe wrightii's native range go farther North than than current sources say?

I wasn't seeing the photos before, so I now stand corrected about these not being Serenoa repens.

  I have never seen Serenoa repens that tall before!