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
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
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
6-feet-12 feet
NC region
Coastal
Mature size
Height: 4 ft. 0 in. - 8 ft. 0 in. | Width: 4 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping; Dense; Multi-trunked
Texture
Coarse
Leaf color
Gray/Silver; Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf shape
Palmatifid
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Waxy
Leaf value
Good Cut; Long-lasting; Showy
Leaf size
> 6 inches long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
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.
Flower color
Cream/Tan; White
Flower value
Fragrant; Showy
Flower form
Panicle
Flower shape
Radial
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
The flowers are creamy-white, about 5 mm across, produced in dense compound panicles up to 3 feet long
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Black; Gold/Yellow
Fruit type
Drupe
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
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.
Stem color
Green
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
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
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies; Moths; Pollinators; Small Mammals; Songbirds; Specialized Bees