Woody > Sabal > Sabal bermudana > Sabal bermudana
Sabal bermudana
Bermuda Palmetto, Bibby-Tree, Blackburn Palmetto, Palm
Origin: Native to Bermuda although reportedly naturalized in the Leeward Islands.
| Family |
| Arecaceae |
| Genus |
| Sabal |
| Species |
| bermudana |
| Category |
| Woody |
| Type |
| Tree (evergreen) |
| Synonyms |
| Sabal blackburnia, Sabal umbraculifera, Sabal princeps |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 9a - 11 |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| Requires cold season protection under glass. |
| RHS Hardiness Zone |
| H3 - H1c |
| Temperature (°C) |
| (-6.6) to above 4.5 |
| Temperature (°F) |
| 20 - 40 |
| Height |
| 9-12 m |
| Spread |
| 6-9 m |
Photographs
Cultivars
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Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| General Description |
| A very easy and adaptable palm that will grow in temperate areas just as well as in the tropics and can take some frost and cold. |
| Landscape |
| Accent, border, and it will perform quite well as a specimen in a small garden. It is also impressive when massed as a tall ground cover. |
| Cultivation |
| Grow in organically rich, evenly moist, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Best performance is in part-shade. |
| Pests |
| No pests or diseases of major concern. |
| Habitat |
| This tree is found island-wide in upland and coastal forests and freshwater marsh habitats. |
| Bark/Stem Description |
| A single stem palm. |
| Leaf Description |
| A fan palm, with the leaves with a bare petiole terminating in a rounded fan of numerous leaflets, 1.5–2 m long, with 45-60 leaflets up to 75 cm long. |
| Flower Description |
| Yellowish-white flowers, 5 mm across, produced in large panicles up to 2.5 m long, extending out beyond the leaves. |
| Fruit Description |
| A deep brown to black drupe about 1 cm long containing a single seed. |
| Notable Specimens |
| Harry P. Leu Gardens, Orlando, Florida, United States of America. |
| Propagation |
| Propagate by fresh seed which germinates readily. Transplant seedlings the following year in June or July. |
| Ethnobotanical Uses (Disclaimer) |
| Bermudians used to use, for a short period, the leaflets of the palm to weave into hats and export them to the United Kingdom and other countries. Sabal bermudana also has a hole drilled into its trunk and sap extracted to make "bibby", a strong alcoholic local beverage. |
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