Love for Saw Palmetto

[NickJames]

Even though most people probably think of it as a weed in Florida, just have to share my love for saw palmetto. Planted these ones a month or two ago when I did the triangle palm. Surprisingly hard to find anywhere? 
 

Feel free to contact me if you have access to specimens this size. I think they 3 gallons, possibly even 1?

[Estlander]

5 minutes ago, NickJames said:

Even though most people probably think of it as a weed in Florida, just have to share my love for saw palmetto

If it’s a weed, then it’s the kind of weed I like, lol. 
I think pine flatwoods look so much better with them than they would without them. 

[sonoranfans]

I have a bunch(6) of old style florida saw palmetto "weeds", they provide nice privacy help hong on to the soil in the summer rains, and are very resilient since they are native.  The one pictured below is the one that has the most blue, its in mostly shade and about 6 years from planting as a 3 gallon.  My biggest complaint is they cut me when I try to remove dead leaves every few years.  The older ones are also are growing trunks along the ground and getting a lot bigger than I thought.  

[mlovecan]

3 hours ago, Estlander said:

If it’s a weed, then it’s the kind of weed I like, lol. 
I think pine flatwoods look so much better with them than they would without them. 

As a young boy from Canada, it was the first palm I ever saw in habitat. I was fascinated and have been hooked on palms ever since!

Edited February 24, 2020 by mlovecan

[PalmatierMeg]

When I first visited Orlando, FL in 1985 I noticed saw palmettos right away. Back then I was told Serenoa repens was a trash tree unworthy of the name of "palm". People said they were nothing but vicious, spiny weeds that needed extermination wherever they grew. Forward to 2020: Now communities all over FL recognize saw palmettos as valued native palms that belong in the ecosystem and are planted in many parks, medians and landscaped lots. Now enlightened people worry about thieves who violate private property to strip wild and cultivated saw palmettos of their seeds to peddle to drug companies and endanger future generations of native palms. Quite a change of attitude.

And in 1985 people believed red mangroves were invasive pests that endangered the sea and beaches. Nowadays: Approach any mangrove with a pruning saw and you face a prison sentence and crippling Federal and State fines. 

[aztropic]

Grew these guys from seed here in Arizona.Not a fast palm in the desert (hardly any palm is) but they are tough and don't mind our extreme temperatures.

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

[Stevetoad]

I’ve always over looked this palm. Very nice plant.  Wish I planted one of these instead of trithrnax campestris. If it draws blood one more time I might make the change. 

[SEPalm]

Are you looking for this palm? I know where you can get 3 gallon or larger green or silvers. Down by Palm Bay.

[NickJames]

10 minutes ago, SEPalm said:

Are you looking for this palm? I know where you can get 3 gallon or larger green or silvers. Down by Palm Bay.

Yes would love more. Let me know. Thanks. 

[sonoranfans]

I have one of these that had a 18"+ trunked(felled) tree fall on it 2 years ago, pretty much crushed it.  Two years later it you would never know it, its 4' tall and more dense than ever.  I much prefer these as a low maintenance privacy screen/windblock to other palm alternatives as I only want the 6-8' height.  I have lots of tall palms after 10 years here(march) in florida, These and a few dwarf bamboo in the right spots help to fill in the screens/windbreaks some of my much smaller palms provided before they grew up.   Part of improving survival in a cold event is also wind protection, and these serenoa help my other more tender zone 10a palms by blocking wind.   

[kurt decker]

Saw Palmettos get bigger than most people realize in the landscape. I like to grow them 6'x6' in 45 gallon pots, they are instant screening, and stand out against any kind of green backdrop. Here's one I just potted up the other day, and one we sold last month. Spectacular palms.

[NOT A TA]

30 minutes ago, kurt decker said:

Saw Palmettos get bigger than most people realize in the landscape.

^^^ The ones in this area get 7'-8' tall before the trunks lean down.

[redant]

I do love them in habitat but they are brutal in the garden. You will come out bleeding after an hour of trimming.

[sonoranfans]

used to have a easy(slide) pole trimmer that didnt expose my hands and worked well on these.  When that thing was broken, now they are death by a thousand cuts.  I have to get another one of those.  

[Stevetoad]

46 minutes ago, sonoranfans said:

used to have a easy(slide) pole trimmer that didnt expose my hands and worked well on these.  When that thing was broken, now they are death by a thousand cuts.  I have to get another one of those.  

Ive never rubbed noses with one. What is sharp on them? I would imagine the petioles are well armed judging by the name. 

[sonoranfans]

yes steve the petioles are razor sharp but small, hard to see teeth.  You feel them before you see them .  The fiskars pruning stick seems tailor made for this palm and others like p roebelinii which tend to stab you dozens of time each pruning.  I guess I will break down and buy it, just for these palms...

[Fusca]

There are quite a few silver saws planted around San Antonio and they do quite well here.  I was surprised to see a few for sale at a local nursery - it's the most "unusual" palm I've seen offered in this part of the state.  I really like it!  So far I haven't had any stabbing issues trimming mine since it's still relatively small.  I get more abuse from my Copernicia alba!

 

[Merlyn]

8 hours ago, redant said:

I do love them in habitat but they are brutal in the garden. You will come out bleeding after an hour of trimming.

My yard used to be full of them, it was what instilled my early hatred of fan palms.  I've gotten over that for most fan palms, but not Serenoa Repens.  I used to have this beast near the front door.  It clearly wasn't dangerous enough by itself, it also harbored really aggressive wasps.  You can see a guy in a bobcat ripping that thing out by the roots...good riddance!

Edited February 27, 2020 by Merlyn2220

[awkonradi]

Based on these pictures, I think saw palmettos are beautiful.  I would love to have a grove of them in my backyard here in northern CA, along with a beautiful 7-foot eastern diamondback rattlesnake relaxing peacefully beneath them.  Really.

Edited February 27, 2020 by awkonradi

[Silas_Sancona]

1 hour ago, awkonradi said:

Based on these pictures, I think saw palmettos are beautiful.  I would love to have a grove of them in my backyard here in northern CA, along with a beautiful 7-foot eastern diamondback rattlesnake relaxing peacefully beneath them.  Really.

Agree, a nice low growing palm i also wouldn't mind having around, esp. the silver colored form.. In CA, bet these would look great mixed in below a grove of Digger, or Coulter Pines.  As for the Rattlesnake, They're great too, just not sure i'd want them in my back yard.. Especially these lol..   Thinking Western Diamondback is the the only Rattlesnake native to the western states whose venom is more / slightly less toxic than the Eastern sp.

That said, wouldn't mind having a few large Rat / Indigo Snakes roaming around.. Bet they'd take care of any Gopher issues i might have as well.. 

[redant]

13 hours ago, Merlyn2220 said:

My yard used to be full of them, it was what instilled my early hatred of fan palms.  I've gotten over that for most fan palms, but not Serenoa Repens.  I used to have this beast near the front door.  It clearly wasn't dangerous enough by itself, it also harbored really aggressive wasps.  You can see a guy in a bobcat ripping that thing out by the roots...good riddance!

My property had tons of them on it, I have down to one nice clump I can keep up with without loosing to much blood.

 

Edited February 27, 2020 by redant

[Mr.SamuraiSword]

Here are the most northern Saw Palmetto I have seen.  Both of these were planted in a small neighborhood near the Ocracoke Ferry launch in Hatteras.  The neighborhood also had 3 big adult Canary Island Date palms.  These were the only Saw Palmetto I saw in the outer banks.