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Texas Sabal Palm

Sabal mexicana

Other common name(s):

Texas Palm, Texas Palmetto, Mexican Palm, Mexican Palmetto, Rio Grande Palmetto, Victoria Palmetto, Palma De Micharos, Apachite

Family:

Araceae (Arum Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes
Coastal Sand Plain, Floodplains and Low Terraces4, Laguna Madre Barrier Island and Coastal Marshes, Lower Rio Grande Alluvial Floodplain, Lower Rio Grande Valley, Mid-Coast Barrier Islands and Coastal Marshes, Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Southern Subhumid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Texas-Louisiana Coastal Marshes

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Tree

Height

35
to
45
ft.

Spread

12
to
15
ft.

Leaf Retention

Evergreen

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Sand, Loam, Clay, Poor Drainage

Light Requirement

Sun, Part Shade

Water Requirement

Low, Medium

Native Habitat

Grassland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

White

Bloom Season

Spring

Seasonal Interest

Fruit

Wildlife Benefit

Birds

Maintenance

This is a low maintenance tree which prefers moist well drained soils. Grow in sunny spots. For tree health, do not remove base of dead leaves. Very deep root system makes it hard to transplant after it gets a foot tall. Older trees are more cold tolerant. Takes a lot of water to establish. Propagation: Seed. Fresh seeds require no pretreatment but germination will be better with stratification. Seeds require a moist, muddy seedbed.

Comments

Blooms March-May. Slow-growing; disease-resistant. The trunk does not appear until the tree is 10 years old. The palm’s leaves are used for thatch. Winter hardy as far north as Austin. Dark purple fruit hangs down in clusters. Fruit for birds, wildlife; cover and nesting for birds and bats.
Previous Scientific Name(s): Synonym(s): Inodes exul, Inodes texana, Sabal exul, Sabal texana

References

1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 2) Miller, George O., Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas 2nd Ed., 2013, pg 48. 3) Wasowski and Wasowski, Native Texas Plants Landscaping Region by Region, 1991, pg. 346. 4) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=SAME8. 5) https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Sabal+mexicana&formsubmit=Search+Terms. 6) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=1788&locationType=County&mapType=Normal, 7) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=42504#null

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State Office Phone: 830.997.9272

State Office Address:
Native Plant Society of Texas
PO Box 3017
Fredericksburg, TX 78624

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