A narrow trunk and round top create a distinct shape in many Florida landscapes. Sabal palm, or cabbage palm, is the state tree of Florida. Ironically, the plants are not true trees due to the growth pattern of their tissue. Instead of having rings of growth, the tissue inside the tree resembles celery stalks. The tissue grows in bundles and ultimately sabal palms are closer in relation to grass than trees. The state designation gives it protections that were previously non-existent. The tree was commonly harvested for the immature leaves, also know as Hearts of Palm, killing any new growth that would have emerged and eventually killing the entire plant as well. Today you can still buy hearts of palm at the grocery store, but the mozzarella looking canned sticks are harvested from farmed cabbage palms, not from wild sources. In general, the palm is fairly disease resistant and a popular landscaping plant whose flowers and fruit are important sources of food for native species like birds and racoons. Surprisingly, the transplant of these palms is quite the delicate process given how popular they are in landscapes. Palms with a trunk shorter than 10 feet do not have the water reserves required to root into a new spot when transplanted. For taller plants, you will often see these palms with leaves completely removed for transplant. In comparisons, palms transplanted with leaves have a tougher transplant process.