Blue Stem Dwarf Palmetto Palm

Sabal minor

Other Names: Blue Palm, Bluestem Palmetto, Dwarf Palmetto, Little Blue Stem, Scrub Palmetto, Swamp Palmetto, Bush Palmetto, Bluestem Palmetto

Plant Details

USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 7b-10b Find Your Zone

Plant Type: Evergreen Shrub

Height at Maturity: 4-6′

Width at Maturity: 4-6′

Spacing: 4′ for hedge; 12′ for space between plants

Growth Habit / Form: Upright Mounding Shrub

Growth Rate: Slow to Moderate

Flower Color: White

Flower Size: Small on 3 to 6 feet long

Flowering Period: Spring

Flower Type: Showy branched inflorescence up to 3 to 5 feet long

Fragrant Flowers:

Foliage Color: Deep Green to Blue-Green

Fragrant Foliage: No

Berries: Yes

Berry Color: Yellow maturing to Black

Sun Needs: Full Sun to Part Shade

Water Needs: Average, drought tolerant when established

Soil Type: Clay (amend heavy clay), Loam, Sandy, Silty – prefers a soil rich in organic matter

Soil Moisture / Drainage: Moist But Well Drained to Wet, drought tolerant when established

Soil pH: 5.5 – 8.0

Maintenance / Care: Very Low

Attracts: Butterflies, Beneficial Pollinators, Many animals enjoy the fruit, Visual Attention

Resistances: Cold Temperatures (0F), Deer, Disease, Drought Tolerant (when established), Extreme Heat, Flooding, Insect, Salt (moderate), Wet Soil

Description

Widely adaptable, long-lived, easy-to-grow and one of the most cold hardy palms, the Blue Stem Dwarf Palmetto is a native shrub palm that can handle temperatures down to zero degrees Fahrenheit, will grow in full sun to part shade, and will tolerate consistently moist soils but is also drought tolerant when established. Growing to 6 feet tall and equally as wide, it forms a rounded clump of very large, deep green to bluish-green palmate fronds on long petioles which add a wonderful tropical texture to the landscape. White flowers on long, branched inflorescences up to 6 feet long appear amongst the foliage in spring to early summer. The flowers are followed by shiny, black, non-toxic berries that robins, woodpeckers, mockingbirds and other wildlife will enjoy, but that aren’t very tasty for humans. With moderate to low light requirements the Blue Stem Palmetto Palm is a great choice for adding a tropical flair to partially shaded areas where few palms will grow. Excellent underneath taller palms that have large canopies. Can also be grown indoors or outdoors in containers.

Landscape & Garden Uses

Growing 4 to 6 feet tall and wide, the Blue Stem Dwarf Palmetto Palm is ideal for use as a specimen in sunny or partially shaded smaller gardens spaces or home foundation plantings or in groupings or as a barrier hedge in larger landscape borders. It is also excellent for growing in containers that can be situated around patios, decks, pools or other outdoor living spaces, and can even be grown year round as an indoor houseplant. A fine addition to tropical gardens, costal gardens and rock gardens.

Growing Preferences

The Blue Stem Dwarf Palmetto Palm prefers a moist but well drained, organically rich soil of average fertility in full sun to part shade. Best performance is in part shade and consistently moist soil, though the plant is quite drought tolerant when established. When growing in colder climates, site in protected locations that are sheltered from winter winds and mulch around the base of the plant. It can be grown in containers and conservatories and greenhouses where it is very tolerant of high temperatures, and as a year-round houseplant in a well-lit room with indirect light.

Helpful Articles

Click on a link below to find helpful advice from our experts for how to plant and care for Palm trees.

How To Plant A Palm Tree

How To Prune A Palm Tree

How To Fertilize & Water A Palm Tree

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