Sabal Minor - still no inflourence???

[JohnAndSancho]

It's mid September and my guy in the woods still hasn't sent up a flower stalk. Does this mean I'm not getting seeds this year? Is this natures way of telling me winter isn't gonna be that bad this year? Did it just decide to hunker down after this past winter? 

 

I've seen some the next county down (the mean guy who didn't like me ringing his doorbell to ask about them and his Butia) and he apparently cut his off before they seeded. There's another one in town with fruit still ripening, I might have to knock on their door and ask if I can get the seeds when they're black. I might have to throw on the Timbs and some jeans and grab the machete and just go through the woods looking for more in the area. 

 

Are the Palm Gods telling me I have enough seeds? 

 

My legs are all kinda hamburgered from walking out there in shorts, there's some kind of sticker vine everywhere, but I do need to go clean it up. It's got huge beautiful 3+ foot wide fronds. They're just covered in fallen oak branches and stabby vine. 

[Fusca]

I've noticed that the local Sabal mexicana don't produce seeds every year.  Possibly influenced by the amount of rain.

[JohnAndSancho]

1 hour ago, Fusca said:

I've noticed that the local Sabal mexicana don't produce seeds every year.  Possibly influenced by the amount of rain.

That might be it. I mentioned in another thread how funny it is that the official weather stations in town have got just under the normal amount of rain for the year but 10 miles away at my house, we haven't. 

 

I am gonna have to drive past the 2 or 3 minors in town and knock on doors and just show up with my snippers and a bag presumptuously. 

I love watching the weather radar and zooming in and watching everything literally go around my house like Moses parting the Red Sea.

[Hu Palmeras]

1 hour ago, Fusca said:

He notado que la sabal mexicana local no produce semillas todos los años. Posiblemente se deba a la cantidad de lluvia.

You have a very good palm tree, my friend. A new seedbed.

[SeanK]

Too late now. Reproduction is energy intensive. More sun is better.

[JohnAndSancho]

1 hour ago, SeanK said:

Too late now. Reproduction is energy intensive. More sun is better.

 

I guess as a fan of a lot of sports teams that suck, I'm used to saying "maybe next year."

[Hu Palmeras]

Very cool my friend🌴🌴🌴🌴💪💪💪💪😎😎

[SeanK]

Does it have any old inflorescences?

[JohnAndSancho]

18 hours ago, SeanK said:

Does it have any old inflorescences?

I cut them off back in the spring when I was cutting the freeze damaged fronds off of it. Last year either the birds or deer beat me to them. 

[SeanK]

6 hours ago, JohnAndSancho said:

I cut them off back in the spring when I was cutting the freeze damaged fronds off of it. Last year either the birds or deer beat me to them. 

Okay. At least you know it produces seeds. Check again around Memorial Day 

[JohnAndSancho]

2 minutes ago, SeanK said:

Okay. At least you know it produces seeds. Check again around Memorial Day 

There's one in town with green seeds on it....I'm gonna door knock and hope they're nicer than the guy with the Butia the next time I go to town. I think Fusca is right since it's been so dry here. I say this as it's been storming most of the day (finally) 

[SeanK]

21 hours ago, JohnAndSancho said:

There's one in town with green seeds on it....I'm gonna door knock and hope they're nicer than the guy with the Butia the next time I go to town. I think Fusca is right since it's been so dry here. I say this as it's been storming most of the day (finally) 

Our lawns are burning up. Gonna buy a couple lawn sprinklers tomorrow.

[JohnAndSancho]

1 hour ago, SeanK said:

Our lawns are burning up. Gonna buy a couple lawn sprinklers tomorrow.

You can have mine! Rent a sod cutter and a truck and take it all. It's very fertile and grows like crazy no matter how dry it is. 

[JohnAndSancho]

I made a couple laps through town and found this one. 2 massive inflorescences! One unripe one part ripe. Knocked on the door but nobody was home. 

[Hu Palmeras]

Very cool my Friend

[JohnAndSancho]

8 hours ago, JohnAndSancho said:

I made a couple laps through town and found this one. 2 massive inflorescences! One unripe one part ripe. Knocked on the door but nobody was home. 

I guess I should ask if it's just a regular minor or something else that throws inflourence WAY above the tree itself. These were dropping from the amount of seed, and easily 2-3 feet taller than the plant itself. I'm gonna go back and try to catch them at home. They seem to be plant people based on a couple large empty pots in the yard and a pile of wood chips in the driveway. I also wanna know where they got their chips! 

[SeanK]

8 hours ago, JohnAndSancho said:

I guess I should ask if it's just a regular minor or something else that throws inflourence WAY above the tree itself. These were dropping from the amount of seed, and easily 2-3 feet taller than the plant itself. I'm gonna go back and try to catch them at home. They seem to be plant people based on a couple large empty pots in the yard and a pile of wood chips in the driveway. I also wanna know where they got their chips! 

I have a couple of plants that are about 5-ft tall but the inflourescences grow to 10-feet.

[PalmatierMeg]

Sabals flower/seed in the spring. Seeds ripen in the fall and are black. No luck this year? Better luck in 2026. Bear in mind that some palms will do a trial run on flowering but producing infertile seeds their first time.

[JohnAndSancho]

8 hours ago, SeanK said:

I have a couple of plants that are about 5-ft tall but the inflourescences grow to 10-feet.

This one is knee high with inflourences so heavy with seed they can't stay upright. I went by again tonight and nobody home again. I'm sure they wouldn't care but I'm not gonna take their seed without asking. I do keep a bag in the car now though! 

 

[JohnAndSancho]

On 10/4/2025 at 7:07 PM, JohnAndSancho said:

This one is knee high with inflourences so heavy with seed they can't stay upright. I went by again tonight and nobody home again. I'm sure they wouldn't care but I'm not gonna take their seed without asking. I do keep a bag in the car now though! 

 

This time I left a note on their door. Me smart. I'm gonna get me some local seed one way or another. I owe a bunch of y'all some quality Mississippi product.