Fall 2001 Journal of the Southeastern Palm and Exotic Plant Society Volume 9, No. 1 Contents From the editor 3 The most inland Sabal minor in the southeastern U.S. 11 SPEPS news 3 Possible Trachycarpus takil Palm profile: planting in upland S.C. 12 Dwarf palmetto 5 Book review: A minor geography lesson 7 Journeys Through Paradise 13 Discovery: Backyard reports: Finding Sabal sp. ‘Tamaulipas’ Hardy palms in southern in northeastern Mexico 8 Illinois 14 Front cover: Sabal sp. ‘Tamaulipas’ blooms in the garden of Joe LeVert at Augusta, Ga. Photos are by the editor unless otherwise noted. Rhapidophyllum is the quarterly journal of the Southeastern Palm and Exotic Plant Society, the southeastern (non-Florida) chapter of the International Palm Society. SPEPS members are devoted to growing palms and other subtropical plants in USDA Zones 7, 8 and 9. Visit the SPEPS website at www.speps.net. Membership in SPEPS is open to all. Benefits include a subscription to Rhapidophyllum, quarterly meetings at public and private gardens in the southeastern United States, and auctions and sales of rare plants. To join, send a check for $15 to the treasurer. Member- ship is for one calendar year, and membership requests received after October will be ap- plied to the following year unless otherwise requested. SPEPS members are encouraged to join the International Palm Society. IPS dues are $35 per year and include the quarterly journal Palms. Send dues to: The International Palm Society, P.O. Box 368, Lawrence, KS 66044. Visit the IPS website at www.palms.org. Contact the Southeastern Palm and Exotic Plant Society OFFICERS Secretary North Carolina President Gene Cooper Gary Hollar Tom McClendon 2015 Wrenwood Drive SE 680 Crump Farm Road 4531 Highway 15 South Huntsville, AL 35803 New Bern, NC 28562 Greensboro, GA 30642 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Treasurer and membership Bob Snyder South Carolina Vice-president and 1450 Norwich Road Tamar Myers webmaster Winston-Salem, NC 27127 2506 Long Cove Court Don Coleman [email protected] Mt. Pleasant, SC 29466 5270 Stony Mill Road • Please include your phone or [email protected] Keysville, GA 30816 e-mail when corresponding. [email protected] BOARD OF DIRECTORS Tennessee Alabama Will Taylor Rhapidophyllum editor Hayes Jackson 212 Oak Street Jeff Stevens 1300 Old Gadsden Highway Athens, TN 37303 10665 High Point Road Anniston, AL 36206 [email protected] Apison, TN 37302 [email protected] [email protected] Georgia Director-at-large • Rhapidophyllum is published in Will Roberds March, June, September and Joe LeVert December. E-mail items for 2019 McLendon Ave NE 1901 Pennsylvania Avenue publication by the 15th of the Atlanta, GA 30307 Augusta, GA 30904 preceding month. [email protected] [email protected] Rhapidophyllum, Fall 2001 Page 3 From the editor den near Savannah, Ga. After a seemingly endless spring, SPRING—April 27, 2002, at the summer arrived in the southeastern Marietta, S.C., garden of Mike United States. Did anyone else think Turner. that their subtropical plants got a late SUMMER—June 29, 2002, at the start this year? garden and nursery of Gary Hollar But the cool spring and mild sum- at New Bern, N.C. mer brought frequent rainfalls that FALL—October 12, 2002, at the finally broke three years of drought. Stockbridge, Ga., garden of Bill That’s meant less watering, but more Manley. weeding and mowing. But given a choice, I’m sure most of us would Fall meeting take the rain. It’s pushed the palms, The fall meeting will be held on Sat- cannas, ginger lilies and other plants urday, Oct. 13, 2001, at the gardens of into some amazing growth this sea- two long-time SPEPS members in son. Burke County, Ga. It’s great to see SPEPS members The day will begin at 10:30 am at involved in activities that promote the the garden of Don and Belinda Cole- appreciation of hardy palms and in- man. Don serves as SPEPS vice presi- crease the demand for a wider selec- dent, and the Coleman’s garden fea- tion of ornamental plant choices. The tures a wide selection of palms, an Member’s Activities column was add- impressive collection of cycads, and ed last issue to give a little recognition bananas, eucalyptus and hardy citrus. to your efforts. Don’t be shy about In the afternoon, we’ll proceed to letting me know what you’ve been up the garden of Chuck and Barbara to. Activities with public impact qual- Mooney. Chuck has assembled an ify. amazing array of palms, many of And don’t forget to occasionally which are mature and fruiting. Nota- write about the successes and failures ble specimens include an 8-foot Livis- in your own garden for the Backyard tona dicipiens, Butia × Syagrus, Reports section. Your input helps Brahea clara, Sabal sp. ‘Tamaulipas,’ keep this journal happily balanced Butia eriospatha and B. yatay. between reference and personal expe- The day will include a brief busi- rience. ness meeting, including the election of —Jeff Stevens officers, and the annual plant sale. Lunch includes a Low Country Boil, SPEPS news courtesy of the Mooneys. Upcoming meetings Depending on interest, an excur- FALL—October 13, 2001, at the sion to the Ogeechee River (20 miles gardens of Don and Belinda Cole- away) to see native Rhapidophyllum man and Chuck and Barbara hystrix and Sabal minor is planned for Mooney near Waynesboro, Ga. 4:00 pm. WINTER—February 16, 2002, at Directions: Both gardens are the Bamboo Farm and Coastal Gar- located just south of Augusta, Ga. ► Page 4 Rhapidophyllum, Fall 2001 at Waynesboro, and Augusta, 30 minutes to the north, has many over- night accommodations. Summer meeting report Fifteen SPEPS members braved the southbound weekend traffic to attend the summer meeting at the Harry P. Leu Gardens in Orlando, Fla. Eric Schmidt, the palm collection curator, gave a tour of the collection, with pauses for tropical flowering plants, tropical conifers and the xeric collec- tion. After a quick lunch, the group headed east of the city to Bobbick’s Nursery, arriving during a heavy downpour. (The Orlando airport rec- orded five inches of rain that after- noon.) continued on page 14 The SPEPS group (minus photogra- pher) poses under the silvery Bismark Eric Schmidt explains how difficult it is palm (Bismarkia nobilis) at the to grow the tender coconut palm Harry P. Leu Gardens in Orlando. (Cocos nucifera) in Orlando’s Zone 9 Photo by Tom McClendon. climate. Some challenges — and frustrations — are universal. To reach the Coleman’s garden (where the meeting begins) take Inter- state 20 to Exit 196 and turn south onto Interstate 520. Continue for 7.5 miles and exit right onto to US 25 towards Waynesboro. Go about 6 miles to GA 88, turning right toward Hephzibah. Take the first left after the light, turning onto Brothersville Road. Veer to the right in front of the high school onto Story Mill Road. Follow Story Mill Road about 9 miles, pass- ing a fire station and golf course. The house is on the left at 5270 Story Mill Road at the intersection with Chris Circle. Directions to the Mooney’s will be given out at the meeting. Accommodations: There is a Holiday Inn Express and Jameson Inn Rhapidophyllum, Fall 2001 Page 5 This Sabal minor var. louisiana was P A L M P R O F I L E planted from a 3-gallon pot last sum- Dwarf palmetto mer and is about half its mature size. Sabal minor and S. minor var. louisiana pens) because S. minor has no spines on the leaf petiole. Sabal is probably derived from a The western form, S. minor var. Native American name and minor louisiana, resembles S. minor but is Latin for lesser or smaller. eventually forms a squat trunk. There are several growing in the Mississippi Description River delta below New Orleans with The dwarf palmetto is sometimes de- trunks as high as 10 feet (3 meters). scribed as clumping, but in fact has only one trunk, which is either very Size short or entirely below ground. The The usual size is four to five feet (1.5 leaves are slightly costapalmate in meters) high and wide. Growth rate is shape and vary from green to blue- slow to moderate. S. minor var. Loui- green in color, with usually no more siana eventually forms a short trunk, than a half-dozen on a single plant. usually remaining under five feet. They differ from the leaves of Most plants have between five and ten other native dwarf palms by having a green leaves at a given time, giving split “V” right in the middle, which the palm an open look that lends itself looks a little like the Vulcan salute to underplanting with shorter annuals from Star Trek. Easily distinguished or perennials. The inflorescences pro- from the saw palmetto (Serenoa re- ject beyond the leaves. ► Page 6 Rhapidophyllum, Fall 2001 Range Zone 7a. Hardy throughout most of Sabal minor is the most far-ranging the southeastern United States, but not native palm, growing from North Car- quite as hardy as the needle palm olina west to Dallas, Texas. It’s the (Rhapidophyllum hystrix). only native palm to grow any distance Established plants will take short north of the Fall Line, and populations spells of subzero weather, though can be found up the Savannah River some leaf damage may occur if tem- to Elberton, Ga., up the Coosa River peratures go much below 10F (-12C). to Center, Ala., and into McCurtain S. minor is reputed to be slightly har- County in southeastern Oklahoma.