What’s 80-Ft. Tall, Scruffy and Craves Your Respect? A Cabbage
So the day is finally here. You’re sitting with your landscaper designer, barely able to hold still as plans are unveiled for your multi-million-dollar residence. Tropical paradise, here we come! Specimen names are ticked off: Coconut Palm, Cuban Royal, Medjool Date, Silver Bismarck, cabbages…
Whoa, cabbages? Those scruffy palms that Floridians shrug off as ordinary? The state tree that’s not really a tree? The tall ones that look like frond-spiked flag poles?
It’s time to pay the cabbage palm some respect. This iconic native is one of the most wind-resistant, cold-hardy palms you’ll find in our state, and it’s practically disease-free. Cabbages tolerate salt and drought, too. The only thing they don’t tolerate is being underestimated, which was never the case with early European settlers and Seminole Indians. Cabbages were used for thatch roofs, baskets, brooms, cabin walls and dock pilings. Even the cabbage-tasting leaf buds were cut and eaten (which kills the palm and explains why it’s primarily used for landscaping).
And cabbage palms aren’t scruffy-looking. They’re rugged (think Daniel Craig as James Bond). We can thank the University of Florida, who recommends cabbages be installed with booted trunks vs. pulling the boots (old fronds) off. Sure makes for a nice architectural look at night when they’re lit by ArtisTree’s LED lighting.
So give cabbage palms a chance. We do. We like them in rows, as a single focal point or placed in odd numbers. They’ll grow up to 80 feet with a dense canopy 10-16 feet in diameter and produce creamy white inflorescences that lead to small shiny fruits. Their extreme hardiness in sun or shade makes them one of the easiest palms to grow, inland or beachside. Schedule a consultation with one of ArtisTree’s award-winning designers to learn more.
Cabbage palms at the end of this brick drive are just as stately as other specimens.
Dreaming of a landscape renovation? Choose the landscaper that luxury builders use by calling Jenni Lassen at 941.217.7675. Or visit www.artistree.com.
For community-wide HOA landscape maintenance services, contact Mike Casper at [email protected] and we’ll get your proposal started. Our nationally ranked company serves Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties.
