Palmetto Tree (with flowers)

Description:

Cabbage palm is a 30-40 ft. (sometimes taller) palm tree with fan-shaped leaves supported by hard, woody stalks. Cabbage palms are evergreens, shedding older leaves (stalk and all) as new ones emerge from the growing tip. When leaves die, the leaf bases typically persist for a while, creating a spiky, "basketweave" effect. These remnant leaf bases are called "bootjacks" or "boots", for short. White flowers are numerous in large, much-branched, drooping clusters and are followed by shiny, black fruits.

Habitat:

USA: FL , GA , LA , NC , SC Native Distribution: Coastal areas from NC south to FL, the Bahamas, and Cuba Native Habitat: Brackish marshes; hammocks; coastal prairies

Notes:

Spotted growing in historic downtown Charleston