A low (6″) growing shrub in the palm family, the saw palmetto is named for the sharp “saw like” spiny teeth found along the edges of the leaf stalks. Palmettos grow in clumps with their trunks often sprawling along the ground, forming impenetrable thickets in which wildlife can hide. The ripened, black palmetto fruit was an important food for Florida Indians and black bears. The flowers are a source of honey.

Latin Name: Serenoa Repens

Habitat: Pine Flatwoods, Oak Hammock