The palm that lives underground
Sabal etonia is one of Florida’s most distinctive palms, not so much because of its size as because of its peculiar growth habit. Its trunk normally remains hidden beneath the soil, protected from the periodic fires that sweep through Florida’s scrub and allowing it to resprout rapidly after fire. This adaptation enables it to survive in one of the region’s driest and most nutrient-poor ecosystems, where its yellowish-green leaves emerge directly from the sand, barely revealing the palm hidden beneath them.
Habitat: Dry scrublands of Florida on white sandy soils, particularly in Pinus clausa communities.
Distribution: Endemic to Florida, mainly in the central ridge and some areas along the Atlantic coast of the peninsula.
Description: Solitary, generally trunkless palm, with an underground trunk, up to 1–1.5 metres tall, yellowish-green costapalmate leaves with filaments between the segments, smooth petioles and compact inflorescences shorter than the leaves.
| Hardiness | |
|---|---|
| Irrigation | |
| Light | Adopts an attractive tropical aspect in partial shade, Grows in full sun |
| Pests | |
| Defenses |
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