One of the most intriguing questions in palm biology is the rate of growth of various species, especially in the wild. Age and growth rates of sabal palm have been studied by the University of Florida, and preliminary results indicate some startling news: under average conditions in the wild, plants require ten to fifteen years or more from seed to the first sign of a trunk at ground level; thereafter, trunks will grow about six inches per year. This means that a Sabal Palm with 20 feet of trunk is at least 50 years old! We often see trees in landscape jobs that are 30 or 40 feet tall, or 70 to 95 years old!
