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One of the most striking Sabal species is Sabal causiarum, the Puerto Rican hat palm. This palm is distinguished from other Sabals by its massive smooth gray trunk which can grow up to 4 ft (1.2 m) in diameter! Most Sabals retain their old leaf bases on the trunk, creating a textured crisscross or "cabbage leaf" pattern instead of a smooth trunk. The leaves of Puerto Rican hat palm are large, usually about 6 ft (1.8 m) long and just as wide. They are costapalmate, which means the petiole, or leaf stem, extends into the leaf. The leaves are deep green in color and are deeply divided to about half their length into several segments which may droop at the ends. The Puerto Rican hat palm forms a dense canopy of about 40 leaves. As the older leaves droop to 45-90 degree angles from the trunk, they turn brown, die and fall off. Many other Sabal species, like Florida's native cabbage palm (Sabal palmetto) tend to retain a 'hula skirt' of dead leaves about its trunk. Sabal causiarum, which can grow up to 50 ft (15.2 m) in height, produces long flower stalks which hang out over the canopy. The numerous small flowers are white to cream in color. The round fruits are about 0.5 in (1.3 cm) in diameter and usually brown or black.
Location
Culture
Due to its large size, this palm is probably too large and too slow growing for the typical suburban yard. In more spacious landscapes, the Puerto Rican hat palm is best used to line driveways or as a solitary specimen. On large properties the hat palm is spectacular planted in groves where the smooth, massive trunks create a living colonnade that's sure to impress.
Features The Puerto Rican hat palm gets its name from its land of origin, and from the fact that young leaves are collected from the canopy, boiled, dried and indeed woven into hats! Jeff Bielski 1/25/00; updated Steve Christman 2/26/00, 4/20/04
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