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Serenoa repens

saw palmetto

Arecaceae Southeastern United States

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies Deer Resistant Drought Tolerant Fragrant (moderate)

Native to North America

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 8–11

Overview

Serenoa repens is an evergreen fan palm that grows as a clumping shrub rather than a single-trunked tree, typically 3-7 feet (0.9-2.1 m) tall and spreading by branching horizontal stems. The fan-shaped palmate leaves measure 2-3 feet (60-90 cm) across and are divided into stiff, pointed segments, ranging from green to silvery blue-green depending on the population. Leaf stalks are armed along both edges with sharp teeth that give the plant its common name. In late spring and summer it produces branched panicles of small, creamy-white fragrant flowers, followed by oblong drupes about 0.5-1 inch (1.2-2.5 cm) long that ripen from green through orange to blue-black. The species forms extensive colonies in pine flatwoods, coastal dunes, and scrub across the southeastern United States, and individual stems can live for decades to more than a century. It tolerates drought, salt spray, and fire, resprouting from its protected stems after burns. Growth is slow, so plants take many years to reach full size. The toothed leaf stalks make handling difficult and can cut skin. It is hardy in USDA zones 8 through 11.

Native Range

Native to the southeastern United States, along the coastal plain from South Carolina south through Florida and west to Louisiana and Texas. It dominates the understory of pine flatwoods, sand pine scrub, and coastal dunes.

Suggested Uses

Used in native and coastal landscapes, dune stabilization, and low-water plantings across the southeastern United States. It also serves as wildlife cover and a nectar source in naturalized and restoration settings.

How to Identify

Identify it by clumps of fan-shaped leaves 2-3 feet (60-90 cm) wide, each split into stiff radiating segments and held on stalks lined with sharp teeth. Leaf color runs from green to silvery blue depending on the plant. Low, often horizontal stems creep along or just under the ground, and ripe fruits are blue-black oblong drupes.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height3' - 7'

Width/Spread6' - 10'

Reaches mature size in approximately 15 years

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~6 weeks

Spring Summer

Creamy-white flowers appear in branched, spreading panicles from April through July. The flowers are fragrant and draw large numbers of bees, making the plant a major nectar source within its range. Fruits ripen from late summer into autumn, turning from green to orange and finally blue-black.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

Green to silvery blue-green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 6-10 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.5 - 7.5(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

sand loam

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

10+ years

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grow S. repens in full sun to part shade on sandy, well-drained soil; it adapts to a wide pH range and tolerates poor, dry ground. Once established it withstands drought, salt spray, and brief flooding, and it resprouts after fire from its insulated stems. Water young plants until the roots take hold, after which supplemental irrigation is rarely needed. Growth is slow, and transplanting large clumps is difficult because of the deep, spreading stems. Container-grown stock establishes more reliably than field-dug divisions. The plant carries few pest or disease problems in suitable sites.

Pruning

Pruning is limited to removing dead or damaged fronds at the base. The sharp leaf-stalk teeth can cut skin during this work. No routine shearing is needed, as the natural fan form develops without trimming.