The Sabal palm is Florida’s official state tree, chosen in 1953. It is the most common tree in Florida and has many uses in medicine, cuisine, and industry. The tree’s fronds grow from the heart of palm, which is harvested for commercial use.
Each state within the United States typically identifies various things as symbolic or iconic representations of the state. Official state trees are typically native to the state or represent important agricultural significance or principle with which the state strongly identifies. In 1953, Florida legislators selected the Sabal palm as the official state tree of Florida. Also known as cabbage palm, sabal palmetto, or simply palmetto, this is Florida’s most prolific native tree. Wild specimens and ornamental plantations of Sabal palms appear throughout the state.
In 1949, a bill was introduced in the Florida House of Representatives recommending that the state adopt an official tree. Since 1868, the Florida state seal featured a coconut palm. Members of the House of Representatives, however, have suggested royal palm and several native species of pine as candidates for Florida’s state tree. Eventually, a campaign strongly backed by the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs successfully lobbied for the selection of the Sabal palm as the official state tree of Florida.
As officially registered in the Florida Statutes, Title 4, Chapter 15, Section 15.031 contains the official statement of the Florida state tree and provides clarification on commercial use. Because of the tree’s usefulness for medicinal, culinary, and ornamental industries, lawmakers have set no restrictions on the industrial or commercial use of sabal palms. As a result, the Florida State Tree offers business benefits to the state in addition to serving as one of the state’s emblems. In 1970, Florida lawmakers passed legislation to change the Florida state seal to feature a sabal palm instead of the coconut palm.
The most widely grown tree in Florida, the Sabal palm reaches over 60 feet (20 m) tall. Drupes, the type of fruit produced by this tree, are believed to have been used by some American Indians as an analgesic for headaches and to reduce fever. Its fronds, made up of long, pointed leaflets, sprout from a central point known as the terminal bud or, more commonly, the heart of palm. Commercial growers grow thousands of Sabal Palmettos each year to harvest the terminal buds. Heart of palm salads and the cut and canned heart of palm used in many Brazilian recipes are derived from sabal palmettos.
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