woodland shrub
Saw palmetto
Serenoa repens
1 of 2Native to Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina
South Carolina to Florida and Louisiana
- Light Partial shade Sun tolerance
- Moisture Moisture preference
- Zones n/a Cold to heat range
- Bloom Feb–May Flowering time
- Height up to 12 ft to 3.7 m
- Life cycle Perennial Annual to perennial
In the garden
A woodland shrub for partial shade. Its white flowers peak in April. At up to 12 ft, it needs room in shade gardens and woodland edges.
Growing conditions
Light
Full sun Partial shade Full shade
Moisture
Dry Moist Wet
When it blooms
The Saw palmetto's white flowers bloom February to May, peaking in April. This spring display draws bees and wasps.
Saw palmetto blooms whiteFoliage
Pollinators & wildlife
- Bees Common Eastern Bumble Bee
also Western Honey Bee, American Bumble Bee, Ligated Furrow Bee +27 more
Pure Green Sweat bee, Southern Carpenter Bee, Brown-winged Striped Sweat Bee, Carpenter-mimic Leafcutter Bee, Golden Sweat Bee, Augochloropsis metallica, Rugose-chested Sweat Bee, Say's Cuckoo Leafcutter Bee, Perplexing Rotund-Resin bee, Florida Pebble Bee, Cyclops Blood Bee, Colletes nudus, Graenicher's Masked Bee, Zoned Cellophane-cuckoo Bee, Smooth Cellophane-cuckoo Bee, Lasioglossum tarponense, Lasioglossum nymphale, Xylocopa virginica virginica, Megachile policaris, Lasioglossum tegulare, South Florida Eastern Carpenter Bee, Colletes banksi, Epeolus erigeronis, Lasioglossum miniatulum, Colletes mandibularis, Colletes brimleyi, Augochloropsis sumptuosa - Wasps Eastern Yellowjacket
also Metric Paper Wasp, Southern Yellowjacket, Red-marked Pachodynerus Wasp +5 more
Southern Paper Wasp, Fine-backed Red Paper Wasp, Polistes major major, Polistes dorsalis dorsalis, Slosson's Mason Wasp - Butterflies Common Buckeye
also Gray Hairstreak, American Lady, Red-banded Hairstreak +3 more
Great Purple Hairstreak, Atala, Fulvous Hairstreak - Also visited by
- Beetles:
Margined Leatherwing Beetle, Emerald Flower Scarab +4 more
Strangalia strigosa, Belotus abdominalis, Mordella knulli, Plinthocoelium suaveolens - Flower flies:
Carolinian Elegant, Chrysanthrax cypris +2 more
Green Jewel Fly, Scaly Bee Fly - Moths: Polka-Dot Wasp Moth, Black-winged Dahana Moth
- Beetles:
Butterflies that use this plant
Documented host and nectar records. Each links to a planting guide for that butterfly.
- American ladynectar
- Banded hairstreaknectar
- Common buckeyenectar
- Gray hairstreaknectar
- Red-banded hairstreaknectar
Full plant details
Where it grows
- Habitat
- WoodlandThe wild plant community it grows in.
- Native range
- Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South CarolinaUnited States (6): AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, SC. Where it grows wild on its own, by state and province.
- Native distribution
- South Carolina to Florida and LouisianaThe same native range, usually more exact than the state list, and often noting where it has spread beyond it.
Growing conditions
- Light
- Partial shadeHow much sun it takes, from full sun to full shade.
- Soil
- Well-drained or seasonally water-logged soilsThe soils it grows in naturally.
- Soil texture
- Light to heavy (sandy to clay)The soil grade it prefers, from sand to clay.
- Soil pH
- 4.5–7.5The acidity to alkalinity it tolerates (7 is neutral).
- Soil quality
- LowHow rich a soil it needs. Many natives prefer lean soil and flop in rich beds.
- Water use
- HighHow thirsty it is, a rough guide to how often to water.
- Salinity tolerance
- NoneHow well it copes with salty soil, near roads or the coast.
- Lime (CaCO₃) tolerance
- NoneHow well it copes with chalky, lime-rich soil.
Growth & form
- Height
- up to 12 ft (to 3.7 m)Typical mature height.
- Spread
- ~7 ft (2 m)How wide one plant gets, a guide to spacing.
- Life cycle
- PerennialWhether it lives a single season (annual), two (biennial), or returns for years (perennial).
- Growth rate
- SlowA relative ranking versus other plants of the same type (USDA), not an absolute rate.
- Shape
- ErectIts overall silhouette.
- Root depth
- 18+ in (46+ cm)How far the roots reach, a guide to drought resilience and transplanting.
Flowers, foliage & fruit
- Type
- ShrubWhat kind of plant it is.
- Bloom
- Feb–MayWhen it flowers.
- Flower color
- WhiteThe bloom color, or colors.
- Fruit/Seeds
- ripens Mar–OctThe seed or fruit it sets after flowering.
- Toxicity
- None knownWhether any part is poisonous to people or pets.
Propagation & seed
- Cold stratification
- Not requiredWhether seed needs a cold, moist spell before it will germinate.
- Propagation
- Bare root, container, seedHow to start new plants.
- Seed
- ~0.0 million seeds per poundNotes on the seed and how to sow it.
- Seed spread rate
- ModerateHow readily it self-sows. Slow or none means well-behaved, not a spreader.
- Seedling vigor
- LowHow strongly young seedlings establish.