Meet the Saw Palmetto
Saw Palmetto | Serenoa repens
How do you know it’s me?:
I have saw-like, toothed edges along my leaf stems.
My leaf stem connects to my leaf with a flat attachment.
My leaves are fan-shaped with a thick, waxy texture. They can reach 3’ in diameter and are subdivided into pointed segments.
I produce tiny white flowers on plume-like stalks.
My flowers give way to clusters of yellow berries that turn black as they ripen.
I have thick, woody stems that travel horizontally across the ground. Occasionally they grow upright and reach heights of 15' - 20’.
My leaves can be true green to sliver-green in color.
Generally, I grow in dense thickets.
How big do I grow?: 5’ - 10’ height and 4’ - 10’ spread.
Sun-seeker or shade-lover: Full sun to full shade.
Where I prefer to put my roots: I am very salt and drought tolerant, and thrive in dry, well-drained soils. I can also tolerate seasonal waterlogged soils.
Hardiness: Zone 8-11
Original home: I am native to the southeastern United States.
Colors: White flowers and yellow to black berries. My foliage is evergreen.
When I bloom: Tendrils of creamy-white flowers in late spring into summer.
Wildlife friends: Bees will swarm around my fragrant flowers, and my berries are an important food source for a host of mammals and birds. I am the larval host plant for the palmetto skipper and monk butterflies.
Flora Fun Facts: I am a swiss-army knife plant: My fronds can be used to provide shelter, I produce fibers useful in crafts, and many parts of me are edible and coveted for nutritional and medicinal value (leaves, berries, heart of palm).
More Info: Often found as an understory plant in pinelands, sand dunes, savannas, and hardwood hammocks, this recognizable fan-shaped plant has had a long history of providing for humans. It is a member of the Arecaceae family and considered a "small fan palm."
Repens means “creeping," referring to the branches that creep outward in all directions along the ground surface.
Bees seek out its nectar - a major source of honey in Florida.
The berries are coveted for a variety of medicinal uses - particularly (nonproven) benefits for hormone balancing, urinary tract issues, and the male prostate.
Because of the threat of over harvesting, a harvesting permit is required in some states for those who wish to harvest the berries.
Florida indigenous peoples considered the berries a major food source, but they are not reported to have good flavor.
You can harvest the heart of the saw palmetto and it will keep growing (this is not the case for the cabbage palm).
The “heart of palm” is located at the terminus of the growing trunk/stem.
Useful for erosion control, naturalizing, or as a groundcover. Best suited in an area distanced from pedestrian traffic because of the spiny stems.
Quick to resprout after fire, though the foliage is very flammable.
Provides a tropical textural look to a shade or sun garden.
