Sago Palm

The Sago Palm is the most commercially grown palm in the world. It is grown as a decorative plant in containers in homes, hotels, and municipal buildings all over the world. It is also widely grown as an ornamental plant in warmer climate landscapes. This very symmetrical plant supports a crown of shiny, dark green leaves on a thick shaggy trunk that is typically about 8 in. in diameter, sometimes wider. The trunk is very low to subterranean in young plants, but lengthens above ground with age. It can grow into very old specimens with over 20 feet of trunk; however, the plant is very slow-growing and requires about 50-100 years to achieve this height. Trunks can branch multiple times, thus producing multiple heads of leaves. The leaves are a deep semi glossy green and about (18-45 in.) long when the plants are of a reproductive age. They grow out into a feather-like rosette to (3 feet) in diameter. The crowded, stiff, narrow leaflets are (~7 in.) long and have strongly recurved or revolute edges. The basal leaflets become more like spines. The stems of the Sago are long and have small protective barbs that must be avoided.