saw palmetto
Serenoa repens
USDA zones8 to 11
SunHandles full sun to full shade
WaterHandles dry to moist soil
Size4 to 15 feet tall4 to 6 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn, winter
- Bloom color
- White
- Foliage color
- Yellow-green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam
- Soil pH
- Acid, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) is a shrub for borders, hedges, xeriscapes, and low maintenance gardens. It is hardy to USDA zone 8, or down to 10°F (-12°C). This plant likes full sun to full shade and dry to moist, sandy or loamy soil. The fan-shaped leaves can reach 3 feet or more across, and spines along the leaf stalks are sharp, so plant it away from paths. Small, white, fragrant flowers draw bees and butterflies, and birds eat the fruit.
Pairs well with Slash pine, Florida rosemary, Longleaf pine, and Little bluestem.
Native range
AL, FL, GA, LA, and 2 more places. See all 6
AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, and SC.