Sabal or Washingtonia

[Gorhad]

I am new to Florida and would like to know how to distinguish between a Sabal & Washingtonia Palm. They both have similar looking fronds?

Thanx

[gardengirl]

Here are some images. Courtesy of the World Wide Web.

Cabbage Palm


Cabbage Palm


Mexican Fan Palm


Mexican Fan Palm

[Gorhad]

Ok so the sabal has a fairly clean trunk upto the crown, where as the washingtonia (Mexican Fan) has the interwoven looking trunk?

Which one has the toothed thorns down the length of the frond stem?

Thanx

[palmlover]

Mexican Fan palms have more stiff leaves. The leaves are more vibrant green and they also have sharp thorns. The Cabbage i believe do no have have thorns. The trunk of the mexican fan palm stays more orange but when they shed the outer dead leaf remains they do also have a white grey trunk. The mexican fan palms grow up to 100 ft. The Cabbage palms stays at 20-30 feet. There head look smore like a bush and the mexican fan palms looks more compact.