Product Description
The Dwarf Palmetto has the most northerly natural distribution of any palm in North America, reaching northeasternmost North Carolina just short of the Viginia state line. While it can get unpleasantly cold here occasionally, due to the proximity of the Atlantic Ocean the record low is about -18°C (0°F), and easily beat by McCurtain County in southeastern Oklahoma, which was said to be the northwesternmost limit of the Dwarf Palmetto's natural distribution. Due to the tireless efforts of our intrepid collectors, we now have a new record holder: Cherokee County in northeastern Alabama. In what is a USDA zone 7b location, according to the latest USDA plant hardiness map, temperatures dropped to an arctic -24°C (-11°F) in 1985. Cherokee County is 150 km northeast of Birmingham Alabama, where temperatures down to -23°C have been recorded, and 100 km northwest of Atlanta, Georgia, where the lowest temperature ever recorded was -22°C. Sabal minor plants originating from here may have a small but important hardiness advantage over palms of other provenances. Despite its hardiness, Sabal minor appreciates climates with hot, humid summers, where it can grow like an occasionally deciduous perennial, while in climates with cooler summers the loss of its leaves will eventually be fatal. (RPS.com)
