This striking palm adorns the Glasshouse corridor.
Sabal minor (dwarf palmetto) is a native of the south-eastern United States, where it grows in lowland swamps, river terraces and floodplains, and it can grow in standing water. It is a frost tender species, and requires a sheltered position in the garden where it can make a striking architectural feature. Although preferring moist or wet conditions, it will tolerate periods of drought. It grows to 3m in height and has a short, buried stem and long-stalked leaves which are distinctively pleated and fan-shaped. In summer it can produce erect or arching panicles of cream flowers. It is one of 17 species occurring in North and South America and the West Indies, and belongs to the palm family Arecaceae, which contains over 2500 species from equatorial, tropical and subtropical regions of the world.