The Cabbage palm, also known as the Cabbage Palmetto, Sabal Palmetto, Palmetto and Sabal palm gets its name from the bud (heart) of the palm that people can eat as a cabbage.

The Cabbage palm is native to the Southeastern United States, Cuba and the Bahamas. It occurs along coasts, shorelines, in swamps, woodlands and groves. This is the South Carolina and Florida state tree.

The Cabbage Palmetto can reach up to 80 feet high, but usually seen 20-50 feet tall. It has very slow growth rate. The Palmetto grows about inch or two a year. It has a thick, booted (covered with persistent old leaf bases) trunk and a large crown of costapalmate leaves. As the tree matures it reveals the trunk.

The Cabbage palm grows well in full sun. It is a very drought and salt tolerant tree. The palmetto can tolerate hurricane force winds extremely well. This palm is very cold hardy and able to withstand temperatures as low as 7 F. It is propagated by seeds.

The Cabbage palmetto is a good landscape specimen for mass planting. It looks very attractive when planted with the Coconut palm tree and the Date palm tree.

Palmetto leaves are used for thatch and can be woven into  baskets, hats and other woven crafts.

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