Wet spot - Which Sabal would you plant?

[Chester B]

I have an area of my lawn that always seems to hold a lot of moisture and the grass is very lush and dense.  During periods of heavy rain this area can get pretty spongy. Generally speaking it’s a dry area but when we get periods of heavy rain it’s definitely one of the wetter spots. What do you all think are suitable trunking Sabals for this spot.  I’ve seen palmetto growing in swamps so I assume they are a good pick. Any others?  

[SeanK]

S.mejicana

[Chester B]

36 minutes ago, SeanK said:

S.mejicana

You think so?  I always associate these with drier conditions   

[Xenon]

Most of them to be honest, they all seem to love water or at least don't mind flooding with few exceptions.

Sabal mexicana is a great choice. It naturally grows in riparian areas and is way prettier than palmetto (not biased at all). Sabal guatemlensis if you can get your hands on one. 

If you're not dead set on Sabal....Copernicia alba or some of the Livistona spp. like L. decora would be great choices 

[Xenon]

4 minutes ago, Chester B said:

You think so?  I always associate these with drier conditions   

Not at all. It hates dry and will "survive" but look stunted imo. The best ones are right up against water and occasionally flooded. You should make the trip to RGV and see them at the sanctuary near Brownsville growing along the Rio Grande 

[Chester B]

2 minutes ago, Xenon said:

Not at all. It hates dry and will "survive" but look stunted imo. The best ones are right up against water and occasionally flooded. You should make the trip to RGV and see them at the sanctuary near Brownsville growing along the Rio Grande 

Ok this a good thing. I have 3 that need a home and I’m looking to plant Sabals along that fence to slow down the winds during bad weather events. 

[amh]

I'm a big fan of Sabal mexicana and it is a great choice, but if you can grow and get Copernicia alba, that is what I would plant.

[Chester B]

32 minutes ago, amh said:

I'm a big fan of Sabal mexicana and it is a great choice, but if you can grow and get Copernicia alba, that is what I would plant.

I have so much room I have lots of spaces. Send me one, would you?

I have some Livistona that I’ll use as well. They like water too. 

[Keys6505]

23 minutes ago, Chester B said:

I have some Livistona that I’ll use as well. They like water too. 

My biggest Chinensis grows in the lowest, muckiest spot in my yard and does great.

[Dwarf Fan]

I vote for Sabal ‘Louisiana’.

[amh]

2 hours ago, Chester B said:

I have so much room I have lots of spaces. Send me one, would you?

I have some Livistona that I’ll use as well. They like water too. 

If I had some plants, I would send you some.

Sabals and livistona are great, but a copernicia would be a less common palm.

[Chester B]

2 hours ago, Keys6505 said:

My biggest Chinensis grows in the lowest, muckiest spot in my yard and does great.

I only have L nitida, but that’s a good excuse to get another species. There are big ones in my immediate area so they’re definitely hardy here. 
 

1 hour ago, Dwarf Fan said:

I vote for Sabal ‘Louisiana’.

I like them, but too short. I need tall. 
 

35 minutes ago, amh said:

If I had some plants, I would send you some.

Sabals and livistona are great, but a copernicia would be a less common palm.

They are great looking palms.  Definitely one I’d like to get. 

[amh]

31 minutes ago, Chester B said:

1 hour ago, Dwarf Fan said:

I vote for Sabal ‘Louisiana’.

I like them, but too short. I need tall. 

Some Sabal minors or louisianas planted around the base of a trunking sabal could work.

[SeanK]

9 hours ago, Chester B said:

You think so?  I always associate these with drier conditions   

Sabals love their feet in a swamp and their heads in the sun.

[Chester B]

Alright so we got the usual suspects, palmetto, minor, all minor and palmetto hybrids and Mexicana. 
 

Any thoughts on the big boy Caribbean Sabals?  Everything you read says moist, well drained soil.  That’s what I grew them in before. I have multiples of just about every Sabal hardy to my zone so suggest away. 

[SeanK]

Causiarum? In Houston it's worth a go.

[Chester B]

34 minutes ago, SeanK said:

Causiarum? In Houston it's worth a go.

They’re hardy here. I have a couple along with Domingensis, Bermudana and a bunch of Megatrons. 
 

 

[amh]

Sabal mauritiiformis, if you are warm enough.

[Xenon]

My casuarium is in the front lawn low spot in 100% unamended clay. Planted in 2021 and it's really exploding this year 

[Xenon]

7 minutes ago, amh said:

Sabal mauritiiformis, if you are warm enough.

The leaves on this one are more tender than a royal palm, definitely not a set and forget thing like most of the rest of the genus haha 

[SeanK]

1 hour ago, Chester B said:

Alright so we got the usual suspects, palmetto, minor, all minor and palmetto hybrids and Mexicana. 
 

Any thoughts on the big boy Caribbean Sabals?  Everything you read says moist, well drained soil.  That’s what I grew them in before. I have multiples of just about every Sabal hardy to my zone so suggest away. 

Don't worry about drainage 

 

[Chester B]

20 minutes ago, Xenon said:

My casuarium is in the front lawn low spot in 100% unamended clay. Planted in 2021 and it's really exploding this year 

I had one in clay at my last place and it did fine, but it wasn’t an area that got all that spongy. They do seem pretty versatile but I always appreciate other people’s advice.

  Causiarum and Uresana are two of my all time favorite palms so I want to make sure I put them in the right spot. 

15 minutes ago, SeanK said:

Don't worry about drainage 

 

I’ve seen plenty of palmettos in Wetlands in Florida so I knew they were good, but don’t want to assume all the species can handle those conditions. 

[Drew N Carolina]

S.palmetto can definitely take it in zone 8b or warmer, in my area in the piedmont near Charlotte with heavy clay soil it seems more beneficial to have some winter drainage for them. At the Carolina coast it's common to see them both growing in sand dunes and in swampy areas. With that said, I'd go for a big sabal like a Riverside, causiarum or palmetto x causiarum possibly a mexicana. I'm not sure if uresana would like the extra moisture though.

[PalmatierMeg]

Large, trunking Sabals make awesome wind blocks. My late, lamented Sabal Row, consisting mostly of large Sabals: causiarum, domingensis, mauritiiformis, maritima and palmetto took on the eyewall of Hurricane Ian with no damage or leans. Our house suffered no damage. If you are considering Sabals to shield your house from high winds, you can't find better palms to do so. Livistonas can't cut it - I've lost decora and australis to hurricanes.

[Chester B]

12 minutes ago, PalmatierMeg said:

Large, trunking Sabals make awesome wind blocks. My late, lamented Sabal Row, consisting mostly of large Sabals: causiarum, domingensis, mauritiiformis, maritima and palmetto took on the eyewall of Hurricane Ian with no damage or leans. Our house suffered no damage. If you are considering Sabals to shield your house from high winds, you can't find better palms to do so. Livistonas can't cut it - I've lost decora and australis to hurricanes.

Yes, I learned that from your experiences and thought they would be the perfect trees.  I planned on having the Sabals at the back to take the brunt of the winds with the Livistonas in front.

[SeanK]

3 hours ago, PalmatierMeg said:

Large, trunking Sabals make awesome wind blocks. My late, lamented Sabal Row, consisting mostly of large Sabals: causiarum, domingensis, mauritiiformis, maritima and palmetto took on the eyewall of Hurricane Ian with no damage or leans. Our house suffered no damage. If you are considering Sabals to shield your house from high winds, you can't find better palms to do so. Livistonas can't cut it - I've lost decora and australis to hurricanes.

I suppose if Sabals couldn't take a hurricane, there would be none left in the Caribbean basin today. 🌀