Palmetto or Cabbage Palm? Take your pick! In Florida, the state tree is called a palmetto. That same tree decorating the state flag of South Carolina is called a cabbage palm. According to Jono Miller, either is correct as a common name, but to botanists, both are sable palms. In his new book, “The Palmetto Book: Histories and Mysteries of the Cabbage Palm,” published by the University Press of Florida, Miller answers questions puzzling gardeners, botanists and landscapers for years. “They’re both sabals….It’s a popular species with a wide variety of palms, including several Florida natives,” Miller said, as he explained his singular interest in all things palmetto. Miller’s fascination began after his first glimpse of a palmetto, on his first visit to Florida as a child. “The cabbage palm attracted me, and I loved Florida’s nature and habitat,” he said. Miller attended New College in Sarasota, and stayed on to run the Environmental Studies program at the college, where he’s led many a field trip into the Florida wilds in search of palmetto groves to study the Southeast’s iconic tree. With a droll wit, Miller takes on the raging debate over the palmetto’s classification, longevity and desir-
PIXABAY
By Nano Riley
ability of Florida’s ubiquitous palms. Are they a true tree? Or are they a grass, like bamboo? How long do they live? Are they worth keeping, or should we tear them out? Palmettos are part of Florida’s pyrogenic ecosystem, surviving fires, just like the pines. They’re also a wonderful food source for wildlife, providing fruit (palm berries), shelter – the “bootjacks” (frond stubs left on the trunk) harbor all sorts of critters, and the hanging brown fronds may
house bats. And palmetto honey’s always a treat. Fascination of Early Naturalists In his introduction, Miller explains his motives for such a book, quoting John Muir, who stressed that everything’s connected. Like many early naturalists who sang the praises of Florida’s unusual flora when experienced firsthand, Miller also fell under the palmetto’s spell. “In 1981 I did a drawing of a cab-
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theGabber.com | June 10, 2021 - June 16, 2021
