Virginia Tech Dendrology

bush palmetto Arecaceae Sabal minor (Jacq.) Pers. symbol: SAMI8
Leaf: Alternate, palmately compound, fan shaped; leaflets very long (2 to 4 feet) and lance shaped; leaf stalk concave, extends into leaf blade 2 inches or less, and is without sharp edges; blue green in color, overall leaf nearly round and several feet long.
Flower: Small white flowers occurring on large (several feet), branched clusters, appearing in early summer.
Fruit: Fleshy drupe, nearly round, 1/3 inch across, dark blue, maturing in early fall and persistent into the winter.
Twig: Absent, since leaves appear directly out of unbranched short trunk.
Bark: Rough, gray-brown.
Form: Short bush with a round crown of large, fan shaped leaves.
Looks like: cabbage palmetto - Everglades palm - needle palm - saw palmetto

Additional Range Information: Sabal minor is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDA Plants Database - Horticulture Information
All material 2021 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information