Sabal miamiensis

Sabal miamiensis, the Miami palmetto or Miami palm, is an endemic, critically imperiled palm species to Dade County, Florida, especially in the vicinity of the city of Miami. Sabal miamiensis was considered extinct in the wild until 2024.

Taxonomy

The formal description of this species was published in 1985, based largely on specimens collected in 1901.
Plastid genome analysis and three different nuclear genome analysis show Sabal miamiensis is closely related to S. etonia, S. burmudana, and S. palmetto.

Conservation

Only two populations are known. Both populations contain a few individuals each. Both locations are on public, protected land.
This palm species is considered critically endangered in its native habitat due to habitat destruction. It has been collected in nature only from rocky pinelands in the region, areas which are under intense pressure for urban development.
Following reports of very large-fruited sabal palmettos in a remnant habitat, a population of S. miamiensis was discovered and 45 seeds collected. These seeds were grown into seedlings for conservation purposes at the Montgomery Botanical Center. An additional wild population of S. miamiensis was discovered in 2025.

Habitat

Sabal miamiensis grows in the pine rocklands on the Miami Rock Ridge of the South Florida rocklands. Features of the habitat include thin soils over the oolitic limestone of the Miami formation, an overstory of Florida slash pine.

Description

Sabal miamiensis resembles S. etonia but has larger fruits and an inflorescences with 3 orders of branching instead of 2. Stems are primarily subterranean, leaves no more than 6 per plant, each yellow-green and up to long. Flowers are creamy white, each 5-5.5 mm long. Fruits are black and fleshy.