Sow a fresh cabbage palm seed, cleaned of fruit pulp, in a warm moist mix.
Sow a fresh seed, cleaned of fruit pulp
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Seed | Fresh black fruit, pulp rubbed off | Do not sow old, dried seed if you can help it |
| Depth | About half an inch to one inch in a mix that drains | Do not bury the seed deep in a soggy bed |
| Warmth | Keep the mix around 86 to 95 F if you can | Do not set a cold, wet tray in a garage and wait |
cabbage palm comes from seed. There is no garden cutting, pup, or graft. Collect ripe black fruit, rub the pulp off, and sow while the seed is still fresh. [1] A week-long soak in warm water can shorten the wait. Keep the mix evenly moist. At those warm temperatures, sprouts can show in as few as eighteen days, and about half the viable seed has often germinated by a month. [2]
- Pick ripe black fruit and rub the pulp off under water. Pulp left on the seed slows germination and can rot.
- Sow about half an inch to one inch deep in a draining mix. Do not let the seed dry out on a bench.
- Keep the mix warm and evenly moist. Bottom heat helps if the room is cool.
- Wait. The first leaf looks like a blade of grass. Later leaves add segments until a small fan appears.
- Pot each seedling once it is large enough to handle, and grow it on before you plant it out.
How long do palmetto seeds take to sprout?
Fresh seed in a warm moist mix can sprout in a few weeks. Some lots take months. Keep the mix moist the whole time.
Keep the mix warm and moist until it sprouts
Dwarf palmetto is seed-grown the same way. Fresh seed is the usual start; stored seed is slower. [3] The fruit is food for birds and raccoons, not a kitchen crop. Do not grow this palm to cut the bud. [4] Once a seedling has a small fan, move it to a pot with a hole and keep it in bright light. Plant-out waits until the roots fill that pot.
Can I grow cabbage palm from a cutting?
No. Sow a fresh seed. Cuttings, pups, and grafts are not a home method for this palm.
Sow fresh cleaned seed in a warm moist mix, and wait through germination. Do not try a cutting.
FAQ
Can I eat cabbage palm fruit?
The black fruit is for wildlife and for seed. Clean the pulp off and sow the seed while it is fresh. Do not treat it as a kitchen crop.
How long until a seedling makes a trunk?
In the wild a cabbage palm can take fifteen to thirty years to show a trunk. A nursery plant rises faster. Dwarf palmetto usually keeps its trunk underground.
Related guides
Recommended plants
References
- [1] UF/IFAS Extension -
https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/ST575 - [2] USFS Fire Effects Information System -
https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/tree/sabpal/all.html - [3] North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/sabal-minor/ - [4] UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions -
https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/trees-and-shrubs/palms-and-cycads/sabal-palmetto/
This note is part of Sabal Guides.
More notes on making another plant live in Propagating Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors