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5 Reasons to Add Sago Palms to Your South Georgia Lawn

Looking for ornamental flora to add to your South Georgia lawn? I’d suggest that you consider purchasing a Sago Palm. Despite its name, it is not a palm tree at all. It is actually a member of the Cycads class and has been around for millions of years. It starts out as a seed and then grows into something that resembles a palm, hence its name. I have several of them growing in my lawn. Here are five reasons why you should consider planting one too:

Tolerates Cold Temperatures

Sago Palms are one of the heartiest trees that I know of. They are able to withstand cold weather, not that you’ll find much of that in South Georgia. There are, however, nights during the winter months when it will dip below freezing. As such, on those winter evenings I find myself worrying more about our other flora than I do the Sago Palms.

Tolerates Various Degrees of Light

Sago Palms are also very resilient when it comes to tolerating direct sunlight. We currently have three of them growing in our lawn and each one receives full sun without any ill effects. I have found that they will also tolerate partial shade and do well as houseplants too. Therefore, they are one of the easiest trees to find a location for.

Requires Minimal Watering

When it comes to dealing with a lack of water and poor air quality, Sago Palms are one of the most forgiving. I found that out the hard way when our area was plagued with wildfires, low precipitation and the watering restrictions that come along with them. There were long stretches of time when the only thing that rained down from the sky was ash. During those periods, we were restricted to watering the Sagos once a week. Despite it all, they survived.

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Requires Little Room

Unlike ornamental shrubs and other flora, Sago Palms may be grown in areas with limited space. They tend to grow up more than they tend to grow out. Thus, they are ideal for use in border areas. We planted ours near the patio and fenced in areas.

Requires Little Care

In the seven years that we have had our Sago Palms, the amount of care that we have had to bestow upon them has been minimal. They require watering during drought-like conditions, occasional pruning and fertilizing twice a year. They tend to grow very slowly, so the amount of pruning needed is minimal. We typically fertilize our Sago Palms in the early spring and late summer. Sometimes we have even skipped the fertilizer with no ill effects.

Killeen Gonzalez enjoys the great outdoors with her family and has traveled extensively.

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