The Palmetto Book: Histories and Mysteries of the Cabbage Palm

by Jono Miller

The natural and cultural history of an iconic plant
The palmetto, also known as the cabbage palm or Sabal palmetto, is an iconic part of the southeastern American landscape and the state tree of Florida and South Carolina. In The Palmetto Book, Jono Miller offers surprising facts and dispels common myths about an important native plant that remains largely misunderstood.

Miller answers basic questions such as: Are palms trees? Where did they grow historically? When should palmettos be pruned? What is swamp cabbage and how do you prepare it? Did Winslow Homer's watercolors of palmettos inadvertently document rising sea level? How can these plants be both flammable and fireproof? Based on historical research, Miller argues that cabbage palms can live for more than two centuries. The palmettos that were used to build Fort Moultrie at the start of the Revolutionary War thwarted a British attack on Charleston--and ended up on South Carolina's flag.

Delving into biology, Miller describes the anatomy of palm fronds and their crisscrossed leaf bases, called bootjacks. He traces the underground "saxophone" structure of the young plant's root system. He explores the importance of palmettos for many wildlife species, including Florida Scrub-Jays and honey bees. Miller also documents how palmettos can pose problems for native habitats, citrus groves, and home landscapes.

From Low Country sweetgrass baskets to Seminole chickees and an Elvis Presley movie set, the story of the cabbage palm touches on numerous dimensions of the natural and cultural history of the Southeast. Exploring both the past and present of this distinctive species, The Palmetto Book is a fascinating and enlightening journey.

Genres: Nature

312 pages, Hardcover

Published March 16, 2021

About the author

I’m a plant lover and natural historian committed to both natural history and cultural history. As a child I wore out several Golden Nature Guides. My first public recognition was at age thirteen in New Jersey when I correctly identified a Royal Paulownia tree that had stumped other newspaper readers. I went on to earn an undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies at New College in Sarasota, Florida. As an environmental educator, activist, and consultant I noticed that there were a lot of knowledge gaps and misinformation associated with cabbage palms, AKA palmettos. The more I learned about these plants, the more unanswered questions I discovered. That led to my master’s thesis in the Florida Studies Program at USF, St. Pete. Ten years later, after traveling around the coastal southeast investigating this common, but poorly understood palm, I published my first book: The Palmetto Book: Histories and Mysteries of the Cabbage Palm. If you, like me, are curious about the natural world and its relation to people, give it a try.

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

a commonplace plant proved unexpectedly fascinating. & by an NCF alum!

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A true 'drill down' on a ubiquitous native palm - some delightful and amazing stories and worth a read to learn more about the cabbage palm.

[Sara Childers · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was hoping to use this book as research, but was disappointed to find some factual errors that could have easily been avoided had the author interacted with any of the local people in the town he was visiting (my home town) and simply asked for clarification instead of making assumptions. His tone towards the town and festival also came across as condescending. This sank the credibility of the author and I will not be using this book for research purposes, nor will I bother to read the rest of it for entertainment purposes.