The most common palm tree in the United States is the saw palmetto (Serenoa repens). They are hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 to 10, growing in habitats as diverse as seaside sand dunes and swampy wetlands. Saw palmetto is not only an attractive landscape plant; it also does not require any maintenance and can live hundreds of years.
Saw palmetto develops numerous leaves from thick stems. The stems may remain underground, lie on the soil surface or stand erect. When growing from underground stems, a single saw palmetto grows to 7 feet tall and 7 feet wide. It can spread to 20 feet wide when the stems grow on the soil surface in a clump form. When they grow into an erect form, the thick stems resemble trunks and the trees can reach as tall as 25 feet. Saw palmetto’s leaves are fan blades that grow to 3 feet wide. The plant earns its name from the petioles, or leaf stalks, edged with sharp spines. The tiny spines are sharp enough to easily cut skin or rip fabric. This is a slow-growing palm tree, with the trunk growing only a fraction of an inch each year. The fan blades, however, grow quickly and can reach their full size in a matter of weeks. Saw palmetto blooms from April to July, producing white flowers on stalked panicles that grow from the leaf axils. Fruit develops from fertilized flowers. The 1-inch ovoid fruit ripens from September to October and resembles blue-black grapes.
Saw palmetto spreads by rhizomes and seeds; it does not transplant well. It grows best in dry, well-draining soil in full sun to partial shade. Most plants are started from nursery plants or rhizome cuttings, as seeds can take several years to germinate and become established. Plants or cuttings should be planted on 3- to 5-foot centers. This hardy palm will only need watering when it is first planted; once it shows new growth, it is virtually maintenance free and can be left alone. It does not need fertilizing or pruning, although removing dead leaves will improve its appearance. Saw palmetto has a very long life span; according the Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce, some specimens may be 700 years old.
The apical meristem, or heart, of saw palmetto is edible. It provided food for pre-Columbian populations and early American Indian tribes. During the 16th century, the saw palmetto heart was a food source for Spanish settlers. Today, it provides food for wild animals such as black bears and feral pigs. The grapelike fruit is an important forage food as well. Many animals, including birds, foxes, whitetail deer and gopher tortoises, eat the fruit. Bees use the flower nectar to make palmetto honey.
Saw palmetto provides cover for a wide variety of wildlife including sand skinks, burrowing owls and the threatened Florida scrub jay. Its low-clumping form is used as a hidden nesting place for species such as wild turkeys and whitetail deer. In addition, saw palmetto is resistant to fire and is one of the first plants to resume growing after forest fires. Although the fan leaves are flammable, the trunk rarely sustains permanent damage. Even when the plant burns to the ground, fan leaves will begin to grow again in just a few weeks.
- Floridata: Serenoa Repens
- Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce: Serenoa Repens
- Groundcovers for the South; Marie Harrison
- Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images