Cabbage Palm

The Essence

"The cabbage palm (Sabal palmetto), also known as the sabal palm or simply palmetto, is one of the most cold-hardy and widely planted palms in the southeastern United States. Native to the coastal plains of the SE U.S.A. through to Cuba and the Bahamas, it grows up to about 24 m (80 ft) tall and is crowned by a full, rounded canopy of evergreen, fan-shaped (costapalmate) leaves with a distinct midrib. In summer it produces large arching panicles of tiny, fragrant, creamy-white flowers, followed by small black drupes. Hardy to roughly 15 degrees F (about USDA Zone 8a-8b, with reports of greater tolerance), it shrugs off salt spray, drought, standing water and hurricane winds, making it a mainstay of coastal landscaping. It is the official state tree of both Florida and South Carolina, and its image appears on South Carolina's state flag, seal and 2000 quarter as well as Florida's great seal and flag. The edible terminal bud is eaten as 'heart of palm' or swamp cabbage."

On June 28, 1776, Charleston patriots under William Moultrie built a fort of spongy palmetto logs on Sullivan's Island that absorbed British cannon fire, helping earn South Carolina its 'Palmetto State' nickname; the trunks were also historically used for wharf piles and fort construction, while the leaf fibers served for brushes.