Sabal mexicana aka Texas Palmetto

Sabal mexicana is an evergreen palm in the Arecaceae family. Its common names include Mexican palmetto and Texas palm. Kew places its native range from southern Texas to southwestern Costa Rica. It grows in a climate with a dry season. Wild plants also grow along rivers and on floodplains. They occur in swamps and rich soils near the coast. Useful Tropical Plants reports it as Least Concern, with no major threats.

This slow-growing palm forms one trunk with a broad leaf crown. Young plants can grow large before they form a trunk. Garden size is about 33 feet [10 metres] tall. The crown spreads about 13 feet [4 metres] across. Other accounts give heights of 39–49 feet [12–15 metres]. The grey trunk has close rings and old leaf bases. These bases leave a crisscross pattern around the trunk. The crown can hold up to 25 green leaves. Their shades range from light green to deep green. Each costa-palmate leaf joins a smooth stalk with no spines. Leaf stalks can reach about 15 feet [4.5 metres].

White flowers appear from May to August, according to Plants For A Future. Each flower has both male and female parts. Bees pollinate the flowers. Plants may bear fruit before a trunk has formed. The fruit is a small berry with thin, sweet flesh. It can measure about one inch across. The supplied evidence does not confirm that this species is edible. Suggested food uses on one source page concern another palm. Those uses do not establish food safety for this species.

Grow it in full sun with moist soil that drains well. It suits sandy, loamy, or clay soils. It accepts mildly acid, neutral, and mildly alkaline conditions. A sheltered site suits it, though it also tolerates coastal exposure. PACSOA reports tolerance of drought and frost. Plants For A Future stresses moisture at the roots in dry air. That source lists USDA zones 8–11 but calls it frost tender. Older plants withstand cold better than young ones. Outdoor culture in Britain is limited to the mildest areas.

Gardeners use this palm as a specimen or street tree. It also suits group plantings and is described as pest tolerant. The supplied sources name no specific pest or disease problems. People use its leaves for baskets, chair seats, and roof thatch. Leaves also enter local trade. The sources report no known hazards, rather than proven safety. They list no known medicinal uses.