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Scrub palmetto Sabal etonia
Arecaceae
Copyright by: Susan Trammell
General Landscape Uses:
Accent shrub in dry soils.
Availability:
Grown by one or two native plant nurseries in South Florida.
Description: Medium shrubby palm, almost always with an underground trunk, but rarely the trunk exposed to 3 feet in height.
Dimensions: Typically 5-10 feet in height. About as broad as tall.
Growth Rate: Slow.
Range:
Peninsular Florida from Clay County south to Lake Okeechobee and then along the east coast south to Miami-Dade County.
Soils: Moist to dry, well-drained sandy soils, with or without humus.
Nutritional Requirements: Low to moderate; it can grow in nutrient poor soils or soils with some organic content.
Salt Water Tolerance: Low; does not tolerate flooding by salt or brackish water.
Salt Wind Tolerance: Low; salt wind may burn the leaves.
Drought Tolerance: High; does not require any supplemental water once established.
Light Requirements: Full sun to light shade.
Flower Color: Creamy white.
Flower Characteristics: Semi-showy inflorescence.
Flowering Season: Spring-summer.
Fruit: Globose bluish-black berry.
Wildlife and Ecology: Provides significant food and cover for wildlife. Larval host for monk skiller (Asbolis capucinus) butterflies. Nectar plant for butterflies and other pollinators. Birds and other animals eat the fruits.
Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Map of suggested ZIP codes from South Florida north to southern Brevard, Osceola, Polk, and Pasco counties.
