Serenoa repens
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- se-REN-oh-uh REH-penz
- Description
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Saw palmetto is an evergreen, fire-tolerant perennial in the palm family (Arecaceae). It is endemic to the SE USA, from South Carolina through Florida (where it is abundant) to Mississippi. There are reports of it from Louisiana. The genus name honors Harvard botanist Sereno Watson. The species epithet is Latin for “creeping,” which is the habit of saw palmetto. Saw palmetto gets its common name from the sawtooth-like spines on its petioles.
Plant saw palmetto in full sun to part shade and give this plant enough room to spread. Its speed of growth is directly proportional to water and nutrient availability; the more you give, the faster it will grow. Foliage color is better in full sun rather than shade. It is unfussy about soil type, but infertile soils should be fertilized to maximize the palm’s growth. This plant is moderately salt tolerant. Once established, it is both drought tolerant and flood resistant. This palm is remarkably untroubled by pests, making it one of the most care-free plants for southern gardens.
A small fan palm that grows in clumps or dense thickets in sandy coastal dunes and as undergrowth in pine forests. It will reach a height of up to 15 feet tall when growing among dense shrubs, but it usually grows only 4 to 8 feet tall and 4 to 6 feet wide. Populations of this species in nature may represent clones of a single individual, which has slowly spread over hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years. Unlike most palms, saw palmetto has a creeping trunk the branches, and so a single plant can eventually cover a large area. Wildfires in its native habitat will burn off the foliage, but new leaves push out within days. Plants often flower following a burn. Saw palmetto has showy flowers in spring and summer, followed by large drupes that are attractive to wildlife. Saw palmetto is also resistant to damage from hurricanes.
Plant in full sun to part shade and give this plant enough room to spread. Use as a specimen plant, in mass plantings, or in naturalistic settings. It is an absolute must for pollinator gardens. The silver-leaf form would look amazing in a moonlit nighttime garden.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Serenoa
- Species:
- repens
- Family:
- Arecaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- A fruit extract is used to treat benign prostate enlargement. The fruits are edible but foul-tasting.
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Root Cutting
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- SE USA
- Distribution:
- SC, GA, FL, LA, AL, MS
- Wildlife Value:
- Many animals enjoy the fruits. The plant is used as a food plant by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species such as Batrachedra decoctor, which feeds exclusively on the plant. Bees use the pollen for making honey
- Play Value:
- Attracts Pollinators
- Wildlife Cover/Habitat
- Wildlife Food Source
- Wildlife Larval Host
- Dimensions:
- Height: 4 ft. 0 in. - 8 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 4 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Perennial
- Tree
- Habit/Form:
- Clumping
- Dense
- Multi-trunked
- Growth Rate:
- Slow
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Coarse
- Appendage:
- Spines
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Occasional Flooding
- Occasionally Dry
- Very Dry
- Available Space To Plant:
- 6-feet-12 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Black
- Gold/Yellow
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Drupe
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- The fruit is a yellowish drupe that matures to black in Aug through Oct. It is 0.5 to 1 inch across and longer than it is wide.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Cream/Tan
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Panicle
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Radial
- Flower Petals:
- 2-3 rays/petals
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- The flowers are creamy-white, about 5 mm across, produced in dense compound panicles up to 3 feet long
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Gray/Silver
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Waxy
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Good Cut
- Long-lasting
- Showy
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Shape:
- Palmatifid
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- > 6 inches
- Leaf Description:
- The compound leaves are up to 3 feet long with a bare petiole terminating in a rounded fan of about 20 narrow pointed leaflets. The petiole has fine, sharp teeth or spines that give the species its common name. The leaves are light green in color inland, and silvery-white in coastal regions.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Coastal
- Naturalized Area
- Landscape Theme:
- Children's Garden
- Drought Tolerant Garden
- Nighttime Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Rain Garden
- Winter Garden
- Design Feature:
- Barrier
- Border
- Flowering Tree
- Mass Planting
- Small groups
- Small Tree
- Street Tree
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Butterflies
- Moths
- Pollinators
- Small Mammals
- Songbirds
- Specialized Bees
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Drought
- Dry Soil
- Fire
- Heat
- Humidity
- Poor Soil
- Salt
- Storm damage
- Wind
