Native Arkansas Palmettos (9 pictures)

17 years ago

Sabal Minor Expedition 2006

November 4, 2006

I drove down to southern Arkansas this weekend to visit our states sabal minor population near the Saline River. The dwarf palmettos tend to grow in the low lying areas near the river, but there are some on higher ground as well, similar to the ones in Oklahoma. The first stand of dwarf palmettos was rather small in size growing in a low-lying deciduous hardwood forest. They grow in a very light colored gray soil (mud) that is very mucky, wet, and bog-like. ItÂs the kind of mud that will stick to your shoes! The roots of the minors go straight down into the muddy muck making them almost impossible to dig up with success. I didnÂt even attempt to dig any palmettos.

They were scattered about in the forested area. It has been rather dry lately so I was able to walk among them without getting my shoes muddy. I was in sabal minor heaven!

Notice the distinctive V-shape of the fronds.

This is a picture of me with the palmettos. I am about 6"1Â in height so these palmettos were about 3 feet high. They are rather smallÂnothing like the North Carolina monsters! They were still very beautiful though.

In some places, they were growing very densely all throughout the forest. They must be in deep shade during the summer months and in mostly full sun in the winter. Palmettos also grow in pine forest. They look the same as the ones growing in hardwoods.

I want to show you the inflorescence on the Arkansas minors because they vary from each ecotype. This particular palmetto is growing on the edge of a field close to some hardwood trees. It is not growing in a low area. The inflorescence are over 6 feet high on all the minors. Is this taller than the typical palmetto?

As I headed along a small tributary to the Saline River, I found the biggest minors that IÂve ever seen in Arkansas! They were clustered together and the fronds were huge. The plants reached a height of 5 feet with a few almost 6 feet. The first thing I thought was, "Are they the Sabal ÂLouisianaÂ that Miriam Bomhard found in the 1900Âs?"

Upon further inspection, it appeared that they were just very large palmettos, possibly a different type of minor compared to the smaller ones. I noticed some large plants had seed this year, but most of them in this area did not have any inflorescence. I also noticed that the smaller minors in the first few pictures have a distinct V-shape to their fronds while these larger ones do not have a distinctive V. Are they a different ecotype?

Here are a few pictures showing the height of the largest palmettos.

This is my palmetto partner, my girlfriendÂs dad. He has lived in the area all of his life so he knows where some palmettos are. Notice the huge fronds. I forgot to cut one and place it on the front of the truck like Gary does!

The wildlife had already eaten more than 70% of the fruit on most plants. The larger palmettos had more fruit. Could it be that they ripen later than the smaller ones? Quite possibly.

It was a very fun and exciting time searching for the palmettos and admiring their beauty. I just know there are some huge palmettos just waiting for me to find them. If you have never seen palmettos growing in the wild, I suggest taking a road trip and experiencing their full glory in their native habitat. There is nothing quite like it.

All of the pictures from my expedition can be found on my Webshots page at http://community.webshots.com/user/austinl1980 .

By the way, if anyone has a copy of MiriamÂs writings regarding the palms in southern Arkansas, I would really like to read it.

I hope you enjoyed my documentary.

Austin

Little Rock

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Comments (30)

john_trussville
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
hey Austin,

saw your post on the Hardy Palm board, but thought I'd offer a comment or two over here on GW.

great pics! Isn't it great to experience these beauties growing in habitat! Yours look very similar in height to the minors that Ray & I found last winter growing in two counties around Birmingham. Most of those that we found were not growing in low-lying areas, but rather pretty high on river banks around rock outcroppings well above the water. Only in one location did we find a few growing at a low elevation and in the shade, and they were noticeably taller than the others.

Ray & I were just saying this w/e that its almost minor hunting season again. This year we're also determined to find needles growing down in Bibb Co, about 30 miles south of B'ham. They're supposed to be there, we just haven't found them yet.

Enjoyed your pics, thanx for sharing.

john
nucci60
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Austin, do you have any idea what the average low temps are for that area of Arkansas?
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austinl
Original Author
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
John--thanks for the information on the Birmingham minors. It is indeed a thrill to see them growing in their native habitat and walk among them. Sabal minor is so versatile where they can grow. There are some on the prairie as well but the ones I photographed are in a very low-lying area. Post some pictures of your minors when you and Ray go hunting this winter.

Nucci--The lowest temperatures each winter in the area are probably around 18 degrees. Those cold nights occur several times each winter, sometimes lower to 14 degrees I'd say. I'm not sure what the averages are. You can look up data for Monticello, AR and the lows would be similar.
austinl
Original Author
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Here is the link to compare Little Rock, AR to Monticello, AR. The temperatures are very similar. Notice that the average low where the minors are located in January is 30 degrees and 34 for December and February. The record lows are very cold.
sonotaps
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Thanks. I enjoyed the narrative and pictures!
the_virginian
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Austin:

Any chance I could convince you to sell me a few of the seeds you collected from these palms?
austinl
Original Author
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Virginian, send me an email.
andyandy
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Great pictures, I wish I could give my Sabals a magic potion to grt that big. Being in Michigan it will take some time.
crazy4coasters_earthlink_net
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
austin i was raised in warren and i know exactly where these plants are....and i can tell you i was there last week and the minors are everywhere very dense and thick and i did dig one up it was about 4 ft tall pretty huge it is doing great i think as long as you can get them right on the banks of the water where the ground is moist and wet
then you can get all the root not hard at all i dug mine up
and did not cut root just dug a lot deeper probaly about
4 ft deep hope this helps your decision to try to get one..
i am realy enjoying mine ! just make sure you bring rubber boots : )
austinl
Original Author
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Hey Chris. Yeah these plants are pretty easy to find, but I want to find others that are larger and taller than these. Do you know a place around Warren where they are larger with bigger fronds? I've heard there's a place called Palmetto Flats somewhere down there. If you have any information for me, please send me an email. I would like to discover some different types of plants. Your four foot palmetto must be really neat. I wish I could find one near a stream with some roots exposed so it would be easy to dig up. Those roots go straight down many, many feet. Thanks for posting.
topher2006
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Austin These guys are so plentiful! after you pass the saline river bridge... coming from Warren take the 1st road to the right they are on both sides of the road lots
of large ones that i could not even start to dig. HUGE
They are everywhere .I think you are talking about the prairie AKA PALMETTO FLATS I heard it is roped off you can't get in there anymore some ecological zone or something Butyou realy don't need to! You will need boots good luck ! :)
austinl
Original Author
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Yeah, they are certainly a lot around the Saline River area. It's really amazing how they are just in certain areas and isolated in stands. It's good that they are protecting the area down there and expanding the prairie. It's a very unique area that our state has.
topher2006
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Yeah i agree.. What amazes me is they sell them on e bay
(seedlings with no fans yet) for $ 48 ! I would have to imagine the one i have is worth about $ 250
It amazes me why they say you can't dig these up
I have dug 2 up and they are fine . as long as you dig away from the trunk at first and slowly work your way in.. not severing any roots you will not have any problems.
merrill
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Hi, Austin:
Thank You for the photos of your local Sabal. They are especially interesting to me because they, unlike the other more northerly strains, are not costapalmate. They resemble more are Florida S. minor.
Steve
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Who's buying strap leaf seedlings for $48 each??? If they need more kindly direct them to me!
topher2006
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Steve
What do you sell yours for ?
austinl
Original Author
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I find that price hard to believe. I'm sure not many people would pay $48 for a strap leaf seedling--I sure wouldn't. I have lots of strap leaf seedlings from the palms from two years ago just growing in my garden beds. If I sold them for $48 each, I'd make thousands of dollars! Any takers? LOL. I'd sell a strap leaf sabal with several leaves for about $5 considering how slowly they grow and the cold hardiness of the strain.

Anyway, Merrill, do you have any photos of the FL strain in the wild? If so, I'd certainly appreciate you posting them. How do the leaves compare to the AR minors? Also, what exactly does costapalmate mean? I always hear this work, but I can never understand the definition.

Austin
topher2006
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
This might have been with shipping too..
3 yr olds no fans yet..

not exagerrating thats the price i got from this guy
on e-bay.
Steve
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Topher2006,
How about 3 for $45? This is what Plant Delights would sell one year old seedlings for.

Did you ship the $48 minor in it's original pot?
austinl
Original Author
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I bought some McCurtains from PD three years ago for $16 (but the shipping almost broke the bank!). They had large strap leaves but no mature fronds--definitely not seedlings though. A year and a half later they broke into the mature leaf phase and have really grown fast since then (for a minor). They are some quick palms when they get some size to them. I was expecting seeds this year, but they didn't perform. Maybe next year I will be blessed with McCurtain seeds. For now, I will be growing
my Warren minors! :o)

Austin
topher2006
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I just went to tyty nursery and there's was $45 (each) for 3 yr olds
with no fans !

anyways does any body know the best place to buy bismarck
palm trees (silver) ?

constampilate means : the fingers on the fans are spread out... deep cut
Steve
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Topher2006,
I'm working on Bizzies, too. 4-6 straps each, silver and magenta. I transplanted them up to 18 inch tall pots and had little roots sticking out the bottom in two weeks! I left them outside last week until I noticed the thermometer was reading 25F. so I put them in the garage. The cold did nothing to them! There going to be real attention-getters when they start putting out fans next year.
topher2006
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Steve:
That sounds cool I overwatered mine this summer i guess
root rot .... my crown pulled out colorful on top but rootball
rotten (could not tell until i tugged on the strap leaves..)
Good luck !
the_virginian
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Austin:

You are the man! I am drying the seed right now to clean it and get it started in the baggie method. Thank you again and I will get some of the palm seeds I told you about in the mail ASAP.
austinl
Original Author
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Virginian, you are welcome. I have just ordered a heat tape from Amazing Gardens that is used to germinate sabal seeds at just the right temperature--85 degrees. You may get faster germination results with one. I just wanted to give you a heads up. I'm looking forward to your seeds.

Austin
topher2006
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Austin

Let me know how that works
thinking about ordering one
I can not germinate seeds !!
I guess i just aren't patient enough...

chris
palmfan
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Someone wanted to know what "costapalmate" means. I read it means that the leaf bends in the middle, rather than being flat. Sabal minor is usually very flat. Costapalmate leaves are more attractive, because of the graceful, curving leaves. I saw a photo of Sabal miamiensis. As I recall, it had lovely, costapalmate leaves! Sabal palmetto also is graced with costapalmate leaves. That said, I still enjoy my Sabal minors here in New Jersey!
merrill
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
H, Austin:
I'll try to get a photo of a Florida S. minor.
Costapalmate means that the petiole extends into the leaf, forming a midrib, which turns downward. It looks more like pinnate from a distance and is considered an evolutionary step toward pinnate leaves.
austinl
Original Author
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Thanks, I see what costapalmate means now. The ones in Arkansas are not at all costapalmate but just palmate.
austinl
Original Author
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Just an update...My sabal minor seeds are now germinating after a month. They are coming up now. The heat pad that I ordered from Amazing Gardens has worked great. If anyone is trying to germinate sabal seeds, get a heat mat for sure!

Austin

Native Arkansas Palmettos (9 pictures)

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Native Arkansas Palmettos (9 pictures)

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