Saw Palmetto
Saw Palmetto
Serenoa repens
Plantae
COMMON

Stats

Lifespan
500-700 yrs
Size
Small
Diet
Photosynthetic
Biome
Subtropical woodland
Range
North America
Movement
Sessile
Breeding
Seeds
Defense
Spines
Status
Common

About

This small palm grows in dense thickets across the sandy plains of the Southeast. Its jagged leaf stalks are lined with sharp, saw-like teeth that can reach ten feet.

Life cycle

  1. 1.
    seed
    A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
  2. 2.
    sprout
    A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
  3. 3.
    sapling
    A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
  4. 4.
    mature
    Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

Taxonomy

Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Order
Arecales
Family
Arecaceae
Genus
Serenoa
Species
Serenoa repens