Palm trees have long been associated with tropical landscapes and vacations. The Arecaceae family of palms, with over 2,500 members, has provided humans with many useful products throughout history like oil, wax, materials for construction and more. While most palms are found in tropical areas, the Dwarf Palmetto is one of the hardiest native to the United States, found as far north as North Carolina. Unlike other palms, its trunk grows horizontally underground for insulation from cold, while the visible portions are fan-like evergreen leaves, flowers and fruits. The Dwarf Palmetto is well-adapted to swamps and forests from Alabama to Texas.

1. Palm of the South
Dwarf Palmetto - Sabal minor
Imagine the perfect tropical oasis of your vacation dreams and palms will
inevitably dot the landscape. Once associated with victory, peace and fertility, the
2,500 member Arecaceae Family has been incredibly useful during the course of
human history for oil, wax, medicine, material for thatching, basketry and clothing,
dye, wine, fruit—coconut being the most famous—and numerous other
applications.
Palms are not isolated to the tropics,though! Meetthe Dwarf Palmetto (Sabal
minor),one of the mostcold tolerantmembers of its kind.Of the dozenpalms native
to the United States, the natural range of this plant reaches the furthest north at
Monkey Island in Currituck Country, NC. The trunk grows horizontally
underground—insulating it against temperatures as low as 0°F,-18°C—while the
visible portion is comprisedof fan-like, ribbed evergreen leaves, white flowers and
small fruits. Found in swamps, maritime forests and low moist woodlands of AL,
AR, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, OK, SC, and TX, the Dwarf Palmetto is a fascinating and
unique addition to the native plants of the southeast.
CTC 2014