Sabal Palmetto Natural Range: Is Climate A Factor?

[Joe90]

Originally Posted by BMI

PNW Minimum temps certainly fine but SE USA is totally different.

Rainy cool vs. hot humid.

I think Sabals need part of the year to be hot and humid to thrive,
PNW does not generally get that kind weather.

Could grow yes, maybe, thrive, grow well, probably not.

Deneb78 or Botev should try to grow one and see.

I don't think it needs to be hot and humid, just a long growing season. I have Sabal minor growing happily here, with a summer cooler than Vancouver.

[BMI]

Originally Posted by Joe90

I don't think it needs to be hot and humid, just a long growing season. I have Sabal minor growing happily here, with a summer cooler than Vancouver.

Interesting.

Do you think it could survive in Vancouver or Seattle?

If not wherein PNW? Brookings, Oregon?

[Joe90]

Originally Posted by BMI

Interesting.

Do you think it could survive in Vancouver or Seattle?

If not wherein PNW? Brookings, Oregon?

I don't think so. While Vancouver has warmer summers than here, April and October still have colder maximums than the coldest month here, which is where the difference is I think.

Seattle is warmer, but might still be too cool over the year.

Brookings is warmer in the cooler season, but I think this is where lack of summer heat does have an effect - the classic summer decline.

If I lived in those places, I'd probably try and grow one anyway.

[Inphosphere]

Washingtonia palms are naturalizing in Houston, far west of the sabal's native range (check the growth over the years):
https://www.google.com/maps/@29.6089...7i13312!8i6656
https://www.google.com/maps/@29.7270...7i13312!8i6656

Actually, even the sabal has naturalized (don't know if it is palmetto or mexicana):
https://www.google.com/maps/@29.7273...7i13312!8i6656

So it might be that there is no hindrance... just that the sabals haven't made their way yet:

In Florida, its northern boundary turns west through Gainesville and follows an ancient shoreline across the peninsula to the Gulf Coast. It then follows the shoreline westward to St. Andrews Bay where its range is slowly extending (3)

https://www.na.fs.fed.us/pubs/silvic...l/palmetto.htm