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Sabal palmetto

(Walt.) Lodd. ex J.A. & J.H. Schultes

Cabbage Palmetto

G5Secure Found in 2 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →

G5SecureGlobal Rank

LowThreat Impact

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.149842

Element CodePMARE0D050

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVascular Plant

Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

KingdomPlantae

PhylumAnthophyta

ClassMonocotyledoneae

OrderArecales

FamilyArecaceae

GenusSabal

Other Common Names

cabbage palmetto (EN)

Concept Reference

Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.

Conservation Status

Rank MethodLegacy Rank calculation - Biotics v1

Review Date2020-06-02

Change Date2020-06-02

Edition Date2020-06-02

Edition AuthorsRaker, C. (TNC-LASP), rev. Treher (2020)

Threat ImpactLow

Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)

Number of Occurrences> 300

Rank Reasons

Sabal palmetto occurs in the southeastern U.S.A, the Bahamas and Cuba, and the Yucatan Peninsula. In the U.S.A., it occurs as far north as southern North Carolina and as far west as eastern Texas. The species is used in landscaping and planted specimens have declined due to Lethal Yellowing and Lethal Bronzing Disease, but so far the pathogens do not impact wild plants in a meaningful way. This species has no pervasive threats and is fairly stable rangewide.

Range Extent Comments

Sabal palmetto occurs in the southeastern U.S.A, the Bahamas and Cuba, and the Yucatan Peninsula. In the U.S.A., it occurs as far north as southern North Carolina and as far west as eastern Texas.

Threat Impact Comments

There are pathogens with serious pest concerns for Sabal palmetto plants in landscaping but they rarely infect Sabal palmetto in the wild (B. Bahder, pers. comm., 2020). Planted individuals are suffering declines due to the pathogen phytoplasma, which cause Lethal Yellowing and Lethal Bronzing Disease (formerly called Texas Phoenix Palm Decline) (Harrison and Elliot 2009). Planthoppers spread the pathogen to healthy plants; this is proven for Lethal Yellowing and suspected for Lethal Bronzing. Once infected, the plant can die in less than 6 months time. The phytoplasma causing Lethal Bronzing Disease has been found in Florida, Louisana, Texas, and Mexico. Lethal Yellowing is likely restricted to subtropical Florida due to temperature restrictions of the phytoplasma, not the its vector (Haplaxius crudus (hemiptera: cixiidae)), which occurs as far north as Gainesville, Florida (Halbert et al. 2014). The risk to wild plants is very low because the vector requires disturbed habitat, specifically grass, to persist, as the nymph develop on grasses (B. Bahder, pers. comm., 2020).

Ecology & Habitat

Other Nations (1)

United StatesN5

Province	Rank	Native
North Carolina	S1	Yes
Florida	S5	Yes
Louisiana	SNA	No
South Carolina	S5	Yes
Georgia	S4	Yes

Threat Assessments

Threat	Scope	Severity	Timing
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases	Negligible (<1%)	Extreme - serious	High - low
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases	Negligible (<1%)	Extreme - serious	High - low
8.1.2 - Named species	Negligible (<1%)	Extreme - serious	High - low

Plant Characteristics

Economic Value (Genus)No

Roadless Areas (2)

Florida (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Alexander Springs Creek	Ocala National Forest	2,954

South Carolina (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Wambaw Ext	Francis Marion National Forest	527

References (6)

Bahder, Brian. Personal Communication. Assistant Professor and Insect Vector Ecologist, Ft. Lauderdale Research and Education Center, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Davie, Florida.
Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2000. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 22. Magnoliophyta: Alismatidae, Arecidae, Commelinidae (in part), and Zingiberidae. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxiii + 352 pp.
Halbert, S.E., S.W. Wilson, B. Bextine, S.B. Youngblood. 2014. Potential Planthopper Vectors of Palm Phytoplasmas in Florida with a Description of a New Species of the Genus <i>Omolicna</i> (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea). Florida Entomologist 97(1):90-97.
Kartesz, J.T. 1991. Accepted taxonomic names from November 1991 checklist, as extracted by Ken Wright, The Nature Conservancy, December 1992-January 1993.
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Little, E.L., Jr. 1979. Checklist of United States trees (native and naturalized). Agriculture Handbook No. 541. U.S. Forest Service, Washington, D.C. 375 pp.

Sabal palmetto

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