Description
Sabal maritima is a solitary fan palm. The stout trunk reaches up to 15 meters in height and typically retains persistent, crisscrossed leaf bases (commonly referred to as “boots”) during its juvenile and sub-adult stages before weathering to a relatively smooth, grey cylinder at full maturity. The canopy consists of approximately 25 large, costapalmate leaves with recurving tips, composed of 70 to 110 leaflets. The petioles lack marginal spines but feature a dense covering of light-colored, deciduous scales when young. As a monoecious species, it produces heavily branched inflorescences that extend to a length equal to the leaves, characterized by highly crowded flowers on the rachillae. These yield small, black fruits that range from globose to oblate-pyriform (pear-shaped) in structure.
Endemic to Cuba and Jamaica, this species is biologically adapted to coastal ecosystems. In cultivation, it requires full sun exposure and well-draining soil profiles. It possesses a high tolerance for salt spray and coastal winds. It is utilized in subtropical and warm-temperate landscaping as a robust canopy specimen.




