Sabal Minor aka McCurtain palm

1. Planting: If you plan to plant your Sabal Minor in the ground they grow best in full or partial sun and are tolerant of a variety of soil types as well as in shady areas. If you plant to leave it in a pot just increase the pot size by 2 inches each time you repot to accommodate new growth.

If growing outdoors make sure you give the palm well-draining soil and adequate space above to grow.

2. Watering: It is important to maintain a routine water schedule as they do like well-draining soil. If you're not sure when to water, simply check the soil about 2 inches down. If the soil is dry here, it's time to water.

3. Pruning: Cut at the base (close to tree) fronds as that turn yellow or brown. This improves the look of your plant and creates clean space for healthier green fronds to grow. *Good rule is don't cut green fronds and don't trim past a 9-3 line on a clock.

4. Fertilizing: You can apply palm fertilizers that contain specific nutrients best suited for palms. If you prefer, you can also use a balanced fertilizer, such as an 12-4-12 formula, for quicker growth in spring and summer.

Sabal minor, commonly called dwarf palmetto, is a fan palm that is native to rich soils of moist forests, ravines, flood plains and bottomlands from North Carolina to Florida west to Oklahoma and Texas. In the landscape, it is noted for its excellent winter hardiness and tropical appearance. This is a small shrubby plant with a subterranean trunk, long smooth unarmed petioles and huge deeply-divided palmate leaves (each 1-5’ tall and wide). This palm typically grows to 6’ tall and as wide. Yellowish white flowers in compound panicles (to 6’ long) bloom in summer. Fruit is a single-seeded shiny black drupe. Sabal Minor is one of the most cold hardy palm species in North America. It will also tolerate a frost.