Palmetto

Palmetto is a common name applied to several palm species in the family Arecaceae that share fan-shaped, or palmate, leaves. The term is used more as a descriptive group than to designate a single species, and it is often linked to palms with a trunk or clumping growth habit.

The most well-known palmettos in North America are the cabbage palmetto, Sabal palmetto; the dwarf palmetto, Sabal minor; and the saw palmetto, Serenoa repens. Sabal palmetto can grow to a medium or large size with a stout trunk and arching fronds. Sabal minor tends to be smaller and may form single stems or tight clumps. Serenoa repens is a low, creeping palm that forms dense thickets. All three are native to warm subtropical or tropical regions of the Americas, particularly the southeastern United States, the Caribbean, and parts of Central America. They are common in coastal plains and tolerate sandy, well-drained soils; Serenoa repens is noted for its salt tolerance.

Uses and ecology: Palmettos are valued in landscaping for their distinctive silhouette and heat tolerance. They provide habitat and food for wildlife; birds and other animals feed on their fruits. In some species, the heart of palm is edible, and the fruits of Serenoa repens are used to produce saw palmetto, a herbal supplement in use for various traditional and alternative medicinal contexts.

Etymology and notes: The name palmetto derives from the palm family’s palmate leaf structure. The term applies to a group of closely related palms rather than a single botanical species.