Sabal Palmetto with W. Filifera like filaments

[zimm]

Am sure this has been covered before but I am having trouble finding it.  I recently has a few replacement Sabal Palmettos put in after my old ones died in the Texas freeze,  the new ones are fabulous but notably different in the “furryness” in between the boots as well as the leaves having white curly filaments similar to a Washingtonia Filifera.  I am not doubting the species here but am curious as to what variant (growth locale or parentage) would make this difference vs my lrior ones that were devoid of fur in the boots and no noticed leaf filaments (but with admission they were 16+ ft in the air so maybe I missed them.  Can anyone comment on the differences in boot “fur” and filament?  My palm guy just said it varies in where they get them from but I am sure it is more than just that.  Thanks in advance!

[PalmatierMeg]

You need photos to get a good response. But you probably have a variable specimen

[zimm]

@PalmatierMegHere are a few pics to illustrate.  Good idea! Prior Sabal Palmettos had no fibrous matter in the boots.

[jwitt]

Alkaline soil is my personal thought. I know it affects filifera. Just my guess.

[zimm]

On 7/11/2021 at 6:19 PM, jwitt said:

Alkaline soil is my personal thought. I know it affects filifera. Just my guess.

So being grown in more alkaline soil could cause different characteristics?  I wish I had info from my older palms that died in the freeze as far as growth locale but the new sabals I am pretty certain came from a Florida source.  The last ones had a ton of sandy soil in them just like this so I would assume they are the same as far as being Florida grown.  

[zero]

I'm not sure about the "furry leaf boots" but the cottony fibers seem to be pretty typical for Sabals.  My soil is only slightly alkaline (7.1 pH) and I see even more fibers on mine.  Here is my S. uresana and S. guatemalensis showing the fibers.

 

[zimm]

20 minutes ago, Fusca said:

I'm not sure about the "furry leaf boots" but the cottony fibers seem to be pretty typical for Sabals.  My soil is only slightly alkaline (7.1 pH) and I see even more fibers on mine.  Here is my S. uresana and S. guatemalensis showing the fibers.

 

Well, my last ones were 16' tall and these 6' so it could be I just never been aware of the fibers.  My wife also suggested that birds just may have pulled away the fibers for nests on the old ones previously.  Thank you for the pictures!!

[jwitt]

11 hours ago, zimm said:

So being grown in more alkaline soil could cause different characteristics?  I wish I had info from my older palms that died in the freeze as far as growth locale but the new sabals I am pretty certain came from a Florida source.  The last ones had a ton of sandy soil in them just like this so I would assume they are the same as far as being Florida grown.  

I can't speak for sabals, but I have seen washingtonia show quite different characteristics with different soils(acidic vs alkaline) within mere miles of one another.   

That being said, I am no sabal expert. Not even close. 

 

[zero]

6 hours ago, jwitt said:

I can't speak for sabals, but I have seen washingtonia show quite different characteristics with different soils(acidic vs alkaline) within mere miles of one another.   

That being said, I am no sabal expert. Not even close. 

 

That might also be due to variation within hybrids or within a single species.  I've noticed the same differences in Washingtonia here but they were likely both filibusta hybrids.  Both robusta and filifera have the cottony fibers but usually the robusta have much less than filifera.

[jwitt]

3 hours ago, Fusca said:

That might also be due to variation within hybrids or within a single species.  I've noticed the same differences in Washingtonia here but they were likely both filibusta hybrids.  Both robusta and filifera have the cottony fibers but usually the robusta have much less than filifera.

I was referring to "wild"  or "naturalized" specimens from the same source that grow in an area I have observed.  The difference is readily apparent beginning in the strap leaf stage.

Just a data point.  Not differences within a species or hybrids, I am well aware of those.