''Sabal'' 'Birmingham' is a seed-propagated selection of palmetto (Arecaceae, genus '' Sabal''), of unknown origin and widely thought to be a

hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...

of Sabal palmetto with a yet-unidentified species. It is widely known for its extreme cold hardiness and its slow growth compared to other palmetto species.

History

The origin of ''Sabal'' 'Birmingham' is shrouded in mystery. The plant was first identified with a large palmetto that grew in the garden of Eva Alexander in

Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...

(hence the name), which survived many freezes below , including at least one below . One even survived -11 degrees F in Tulsa, OK. Speculation indicates the seed source for this particular palm was somewhere in

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. After Alexander's death in 1976, her property on Graymont Avenue was re-purposed for a church, and the tree was moved to the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. It remained there until it died in the mid 1980s. Before its demise, Bob McCartney of Woodlander's Nursery collected seed from the tree and began germinating seedlings, which have kept this particular species going. Specimens are now found as far away as

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

, and southern

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Description

''Sabal'' 'Birmingham' grows up to in height, with a trunk up to diameter. Like '' Sabal palmetto'', it is a distinct fan palm (Arecaceae tribe Corypheae), with a bare petiole which extends as a center spine or midrib, (costa) 1/2 to 2/3 the length into a rounded, costapalmate fan of numerous leaflets. A costapalmate leaf has a definite costa (midrib) unlike the typical palmate or fan leaf, but the leaflets are arranged radially like in a palmate leaf. All costapalmate leaves are markedly recurved or arched backwards. Each leaf is long, with 40-60 leaflets up to long. It was originally speculated that Sabal birmingham was a hybrid between ''Sabal palmetto'' and ''

Sabal mexicana ''Sabal mexicana'' is a species of palm tree that is native to far southern North America. Common names include Rio Grande palmetto, Mexican palmetto, Texas palmetto, Texas sabal palm, palmetto cabbage and palma de mícharos. The specific epith ...

'', however its slow growth rate and increased cold hardiness point more toward a hybrid between ''Sabal palmetto'' and '' Sabal minor'', both of which are native to

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Cultivation and uses

This palm is in great demand in areas where ''Sabal palmetto'' is only marginally hardy because of its lower protection needs. Well-established specimens of ''Sabal'' 'Birmingham' are hardy in USDA Zone 7, while ''Sabal palmetto'' needs winter protection and near-perfect siting to be successfully grown in any zone colder than Zone 8. Established ''Sabal'' 'Birmingham' are grown in or near Atlanta, GA,

Raleigh, NC Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Southea ...

New Bern, NC New Bern, formerly called Newbern, is a city in Craven County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 29,524, which had risen to an estimated 29,994 as of 2019. It is the county seat of Craven County and t ...

, Nashville, TN, Richmond, VA,

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and

Toms River, NJ Toms River is a township in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. Its mainland portion is also a census-designated place of the same name, which serves as the county seat of Ocean County.List of hardy palms Hardy palms are any of the species of palm (Arecaceae) that are able to withstand ''brief'' periods of colder temperatures and even occasional snowfall. A few palms are native to higher elevations of south Asia where true winter conditions occu ...

References

{{reflist Ornamental plant cultivars

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...