Flora of the Southeastern United States

Serenoa repens (W. Bartram) Small. Common name: Saw Palmetto. Phenology: May-Jul; Oct-Nov. Habitat: Pine flatwoods, maritime forests, dunes, pine rocklands, and Florida dry prairie, xeric longleaf pine sandhills, scrubby pine flatwoods, and Florida scrub. Also used horticulturally, especially the gray (blue) forms. Distribution: Se. South Carolina (in maritime forests in Charleston and Colleton counties, and in spodosolic flatwoods in Beaufort and Jasper counties; apparently disjunct as far north as Georgetown County, see iNat observation 47463051) south to s. Florida and west to e. Louisiana.

Origin/Endemic status: Endemic

Taxonomy Comments: The species has variation in leaf color caused by differences in epicuticular waxiness, with green and gray (blue) forms. The gray forms are often found on coastal dunes. Plants with upright trunks were the basis for Serenoa arborescens, which seems to be only an atypical growth form not warranting taxonomic recognition.

Other Comments: Serenoa forms extensive clonal patches, connected by underground rhizomes, and is a keystone plant in many ecosystems of FL, including pine flatwoods, sandhills, and scrub (where sometimes replaced functionally by Sabal etonia). It is geoxylic, and resprouts rapidly after fire, with the age of individual plants estimated at thousands of years (Takahashi et al. 2011). The fruit are purported to promote human prostate health, and are thus harvested extensively.

Synonymy ⓘ: = FNA22, GW1, K1, K4, NS, POWO, RAB, S, WH3, Zona (1997); > Serenoa arborescens Sarg. — S13; > Serenoa serrulata (Michx.) Hook.f. — S13. Basionym: Corypha repens W.Bartram 1791

Links to other floras: = Serenoa repens - FNA22

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Wetland Indicator Status:

• Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACU

Heliophily ⓘ: 7