|                    Scrub palmetto
                      |  
              
                |                    Sabal etonia  
                      |  
              
                |                    Arecaceae 
                      |  
  
              
                 Landscape Uses:
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                 Accent shrub in dry soils. | 
               
                Ecological Restoration Notes:  | 
               
              
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                | Availability: | 
               
              
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                 Available at native plant nurseries in northeast and central Florida. | 
               
              
                | Description: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Medium shrubby palm, almost always with an underground trunk, but rarely the trunk exposed to 3 feet in height. | 
               
              
                | Height: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Typically 5-10 feet in height.  About as broad as tall. | 
               
              
                | Growth Rate: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Slow. | 
               
              
                | Range: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Peninsular Florida from Clay County south to Lake Okeechobee and then along the east coast south to Miami-Dade County. | 
               
              
                | Habitats: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Scrub and scrubby flatwoods. | 
               
              
                | Soils: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Moist to dry, well-drained sandy soils, with or without humus. | 
               
              
                | Nutritional Requirements: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Low to moderate; it can grow in nutrient poor soils or soils with some organic content. | 
               
              
                | Salt Water Tolerance: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Low; does not tolerate flooding by salt or brackish water. | 
               
              
                | Salt Wind Tolerance: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Low; salt wind may burn the leaves. | 
               
              
                | Drought Tolerance: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 High; does not require any supplemental water once established. | 
               
              
                | Light Requirements: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Full sun to light shade. | 
               
              
                | Flower Color: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Creamy white. | 
               
              
                | Flower Characteristics: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Semi-showy inflorescence. | 
               
              
                | Flowering Season: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Spring-summer. | 
               
              
                | Fruit: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Globose bluish-black berry. | 
               
              
                | Wildlife and Ecology: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Provides significant food and cover for wildlife.  Larval host for monk skiller (Asbolis capucinus) butterflies.  Nectar plant for butterflies and other pollinators.  Birds and other animals eat the fruits. | 
               
                     
                | Horticultural Notes: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Can be grown from seed. | 
               
              
                | Comments: | 
               
              
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