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Sabal sp. Birmingham
Mysterious Birmingham! Everyone agrees that this palm is most likely a hybrid between Sabal palmetto and Sabal minor. The original plant in Miss Eva Alexander's garden was famous because in its time it was one of the most northerly growing trunk-palms in the south. We use the word "was" because now it is dead. The story goes that it was removed from her garden on Graymont Avenue which was going to be cleared for a church. It was relocated to the Birmingham Botanical Garden. There it thrived for 10 years, until it was killed in the freeze of 1983-84. Luckily the notoriety of this hardy trunk-palm had guaranteed its survival as seed had been widely planted and distributed across the south. It was destined to repopulate the city of Birmingham. Thanks go to Melanie B. Johns of the Birmingham Botanical Gardens and Hayes Jackson for their interest in this horticultural curiosity and for telling us its story. Thanks to for the image.
Notes and observations about this plant
- testing its limits by Charles Harper
- I have a "Riverside" sabal planted next to a "Birmingham" sabal in my yard in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The Riverside did great last winter with 3 days of 10 degree temps. I hope the Birmingham lives up to it's reputation like the Riverside did. Both palms have similar type histories. (Posted on 8/9/10)