20 Things You Didn’t Know about The Cabbage Palm Tree
“I am a palm tree champion! I am confident I can weather life’s storms since I have already paid the price and have deep-seated religious beliefs.” John Di LemmeDid you know that over 3000 cabbage palms are in the Palm valley? The cabbage palm tree is native to the tropics. Its long, cone-shaped leaves and branching trunk look like a miniature version of a large tree.
Yet this tiny cousin has surprising features that set it apart from other trees in the same family: the cabbage palm is one of the most unusual plants on Earth. This article teaches you about the cabbage palm and its beautiful ways.
1. The Palm Tree is Very Tolerant
The cabbage palms adapt to different soils. It tolerates droughts and icy conditions as low as 10F when mature. The tree requires full sun. However, it can also do well in areas with partial sun exposure. The tree grows best in Brusque marshes, shorelines, hammocks or woodlands, and sandy soils close to the coastline and inland.
2. It is Florida’s Native Palm
The most prevalent of our native palm trees is the cabbage palmetto. It travels through the Florida Keys and Cape Fear, North Carolina, to reach its epicenter in south-central Florida. Population dispersion in Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. It follows the coast from North Carolina to Florida, typically within 20 kilometers of the water.
In Florida, the state’s northern border swings west through Gainesville and follows the peninsula along an antiquated shoreline to the Gulf Coast. The range slowly widens as it travels west down the coastline to St. Andrews Bay. You can also find the tree in the Bahamas Islands, which are outside the US.
3. State Tree of Florida and South Carolina
The Florida legislature designated the cabbage palm in 1953 after a year-long debate. The members supporting the cabbage palm fought for months before their pleas were successful. The discussion had opponents supporting the slash pine. Finally, the federation of Garden Clubbs designated the Cabbage palm, and the opponents’ slashed pine bowed to the hardy tree.
To the South Carolinas, the cabbage palm symbolizes the defeat of the British fleet at Fort Moutre on the Sullivan Islands. In addition, the tree was able to absorb cannon balls without burning. In that regard, South Carolina is the “Palmetto State.”
The state also features the cabbage palm in the state flag, the great seal, and the bicentennial commemorative quarter of South Carolina. Additionally, the cabbage palm was designated in 1939 by a joint resolution 63. The battle of Sullivan island was the first American victory over the British royal navy during the revolutionary war in 1776.
4. Home for Many Animals and Birds
Are mosquitoes ruining your night? The cabbage tree is a viable measure as it is a habitat for tree frogs and bats, which control mosquitoes naturally. Additionally, The tree is a source of food and shelter for many birds and animals.
During their bloom, pollinating beetles and honey bees gather around it to collect nectar and pollen from the flowers. The applications for cabbage palms in the backyard garden connect to their characteristic odor. While it turns people away, bees, butterflies, and many other valuable creatures find that smell to be perfume.
5. The Tree Flowers in June or July
The cabbage palm has long lines of leaves tapering to a point and radiating from one or various locations at the tip of the branches. Approximately eight years after planting, in July, when it is about 5 meters tall, the tree blooms.
It has white flowers with long stems and clustered petioles near the top of the plant resembling a crown. Also, the flowers are short, cylindrical, with buds.
The fruit of the cabbage palm ripens in the summer and into the fall, changing from green to purplish-black. Large bunches of fruit that are between 5 and 8 feet long hang down from the trees. Each round, 1/2 to 1 1/2-inch round berry has a single hard seed and a thin layer of flesh that is purplish and has a faintly prune-like flavor.
The fruits are edible, but the stiff texture of the seeds necessitates careful processing before consumption.
6. It’s a Favorite Tree for Landscapers
This palm grows well in various settings, including informal groupings of multiple sizes, as a specimen plant, street planting, and framing trees. However, the cabbage palm thrives best near the ocean. It produces small, lustrous, green to black fruits after the summer’s four to five-foot-long, creamy white, spectacular flower stalks.
7. Eating the Bud Kills the Tree
The cabbage palm tree has a cabbage-like taste and is the tree’s heart. Therefore, eating the cabbage kills the plant and prevents further growth.
There are numerous methods to make swamp cabbage. The most popular technique to prepare Florida palm, which is edible raw, is to chop them into thin pieces like cole slaw and deep fry them in meat seasoning until done, changing their color from white to yellow-brown or gray-brown.
It is “Heart of Palm Salad” when served uncooked in slices with dates or guava. Interestingly, before Europeans brought metal axes, the Indians did not consume the heart of the palm.
Did you know that the swamp cabbage festival takes place annually in La Belle, Florida?
8. Provides Exemplary Shade
The trees provide sufficient shade when they are well distributed. However, you must consider the density of the tree before selecting it as your perfect shade tree. Then, you can plant the sabal palm in your landscape or the streets for the optimum shade.
9. It is Illegal to Cut a Cabbage Palm in Florida
It would be best if you had the authorization to cut down the cabbage palm. It is the most wind and flood-resistant tree in Florida. However, pruning the cabbage tree exposes it and makes it vulnerable to cyclones.
10. Affected by Lethal Bronzing and Pests
The cabbage palms are affected by palmetto weevils invasion, which burrows into the leaf and lays their eggs. When the egg matures, the larvae excavate its crown stem, killing the meristem.
In addition, the tree is affected by Ganoderma butt rot, Thielaviopsis trunk rot, and the Texas phoenix palm decline. So how do you discern their diseases?
- The Ganoderma butt rot has no control and is among the palms. The disease is a soilborne fungus and invades the trunk causing its decay in the lower 3-4 feet. You might detect brown and white shelf-like conks on the trunk. When the trunk rots, the canopy wilts, and the palm dies.
- Texas phoenix palm or lethal bronzing is a new disease affecting many types of palms. The cause of the illness is phytoplasma, which only spreads through palm sap or insects. Therefore, you should immediately remove the infected plant and test the nearby trees.
- The heliopsis trunk rot causes the palm trunk to collapse or the canopy to fall suddenly. Therefore, it is difficult to discern the disease except for stem bleeding, which is common in other palms, such as coconut palms.
11. There are Different Species of The Cabbage Palm
The cabbage palm has different species depending on the mother’s location. The species are:
- Corypha utan, an East Asian fan palm (including Northern Australia)
- Cordyline fruticosa, a tropical tree endemic to Asia and Polynesia
- Brazilian palm tree Euterpe oleracea;
- Australian Livistona australis;
- Caribbean Roystonea oleracea; and
- Sabal palmetto is indigenous to the southeast of the United States, Cuba, and the Bahamas.
12. The palmetto bowl Rivalry is Named After The Tree
An annual rivalry between South Carolina and Clemson is known as the Palmetto bowl. The first clash was on June 12th, 1896, and it was the longest uninterrupted game since 1908.
The tree had broken the records of the longest continuous non-conference rivalry in the nation, the longest ongoing rivalry in division 1 college football, and the second longest constant rivalry in division one college football. In 2014, the palmetto bowl was publicly acknowledged as the name of the contest after both schools concurred. The trophy is a palm-shaped tree. “Concentrate on this instant. Check out how holding your hand feels. View some grass there. Consult a palm tree. Discover life.” Frederick Lenz
13. The Tree Gets Its Name From Its Fronds
The tree, which gets its name from the form of its fronds, contains heart-shaped, edible leaves that taste like cabbage. The leaves emerge from the trees as terminal buds. The cabbage is edible by humans and was a typical food for Floridas Native Americans.
The American Indians prepared a tasty delicacy that resembled cabbage by cooking the interior of the palm-growing stems. This palm tree is also indigenous to the Southeast of the United States, where it goes by the name “Sable palm tree.”
14. The Tree is Monocotyledonous
The monocots or monocotyledonous evolved approximately 100-200 million years ago. As a result, the monocot’s anatomical features differ from other plants. For example, the vascular bundle’s arrangement of the sabal palm casually produces one leaf when they germinate.
15. Its Fruits are a Cure for Many Diseases
The seed was used for headaches and lowering fevers. Also, for native Americans, the palm was used as a febrifuge analgesic and for dietary aid. They also used the Palmetto to treat grass sickness and aid in weight loss as a diuretic acid and urinary antiseptic.
The Seminoles had other uses for the Sabal palm. Weight loss, headaches, and fever were all treated with the seed. Sadly, there are currently no proven applications for this medication. Additionally, the tree is an essential diet for bears, raccoons, squirrels, wild turkeys, and deer.
16. It is a Slow-Growing Tree
The seedling of the cabbage palm may take 15-30 years to develop a visible trunk in optimum conditions. However, in nurseries, it may be faster. Under the best conditions, the tree grows at a rate of 6 inches per year but reduces to one inch per year as it matures. The tree achieves a height of 40 feet with a round canopy at the top, around 10-16 inches in diameter. The leaves grow to 3-4 feet with 3-6 feet long petioles at maturity.
17. It Symbolizes Power and Bravery
In South Carolina, the cabbage palm is a symbol of liberty. In addition, the tree was designated as an ornamental tree and the official seal of South Carolina in 1777. It later appeared on the flag in 1861. Henceforth, June 28th is Carolina day and is celebrated annually with images of the palmetto tree all around the city.
18. Has Short Bulbous Roots
The cabbage palm roots are surrounded by dense roots with orange light sources that are sometimes as deep as 10-20 feet in the soil.
19. They are Florida Bootjacks
What are bootjacks? Bootjacks are Y-shaped aids for putting on and taking off your boots; they are robust shoehorns. The trunk portion is covered in spiky, basket-like growth beneath the leaves and above the propping boards.
Bootjacks are the remnants of old leaf bases that resemble shoehorns, thus the bootjack. However, the leaf takes time to detach from the tree’s trunk. Additionally, when the bootjack leaves fall off, they leave a soft box, more when the trees are transplanted.
20. Used for Construction
In Florida, Americans have historically used palm trees for construction. In addition to providing timber for building, the tree also produced leaves for thatching.
The Seminoles were well-known for their Chickees, a quick and effective building style throughout the 1800s. They were built from cypress wood and thatched in palm fronds. The fronds of these palms are a highly excellent roofing material that only needs replacement every five years.
In addition, early settlers found great value in the towering, branchless trunks as building materials. One particular aim was to use them as pilings for building docks and piers. In addition to using palm fronds for weaving, leaf petioles also made brushes and brooms.
How Should a Cabbage Tree be Tended?
After transplanting, the cabbage palm requires frequent watering until the bulbous roots mature. Henceforth, the tree becomes self-dependent and does not require any maintenance. However, when the tree falls its fruits, you should remove the tiny seeds as they may be weedy.
How do You Prune a Cabbage Palm Tree?
Consider a palm’s canopy as the face of a clock, with the stem passing through the numbers 6 and 12. It will help you prune correctly. Pruning should only be done on the entirely brown leaves and hang below the imaginary horizontal line that runs from 9 across to 3.
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