Saw Palmetto was used by ancient Native Americans in Florida; today it is a popular herb in the US and Europe.

Serenoa repens Saw Palmetto

Saw Palmetto is also known by these common names: sabal palm, palmetto berry, American dwarf palm tree, cabbage palm.

Saw Palmetto berries were recognized by Native Americans and white settlers for their nutritional properties. Consumption of saw palmetto berries was believed to help in stimulating the appetite and increasing build-up of fat, flesh and strength. Today, Saw Palmetto is recommended for inflammation or enlargement of the prostate gland.

Saw Palmetto Plant Type:

Saw Palmetto is a slow growing palm indigenous to Florida and can grow to 6 to 8 feet tall. It is a drought tolerant, clump forming palm with thorny teeth on the end of fan-shaped leaves. The saw palmetto leaves are pointed very sharp as well as is the thorny trunk.

The palm produces dense clusters of single-seeded blue-black saw palmetto berries.

growing Zones for Saw Palmetto

USDA Planting Zones: Zones 8 to 10; Saw Palmetto is particularly robust in Florida.

Best Soil type for growing saw palmetto:

Saw Palmetto grows best in the warm, moist, well-drained soil and dappled shade along the northern gulf coastal plains of Florida, Georgia and west to Louisiana.

Propagation and growing saw palmetto:

It has been said that this plant is difficult to transplant.
Propagated by seed or by root division by dividing and planting of suckers which can grow from the main plant.

Uses of Saw Palmetto:

Consumption of saw palmetto berries were believed to help stimulate the appetite and increase build-up of fat, flesh and strength. Because of this early settlers adopted Saw Palmetto as a food for themselves and their animals which grew sleek and fat from eating them.
Saw palmetto has also been used in treating urinary disorders and enuresis.
Saw Palmetto berries are also believed to have a soothing, toning effect on mucous membranes throughout the body, as well as being an effective expectorant. This makes saw palmetto useful in herbal remedies for colds, as well as asthma and bronchitis.
The effects of saw palmetto are believed to extend to the sexual organs, in particular for treating low libido and impotence in men. Saw palmetto is recommended for inflammation of the prostate and age related enlarged prostate.
Recently, Saw Palmetto hair loss have also become a popular subject. It has become popular as an herbal remedy for androgenic alopecia, or the pattern baldness that typically appears at the top of the head and around the temples of both men and women.

Possible side effects of taking Saw Palmetto:

Like any other herbal remedy, there are possible side effects of Saw Palmetto. The most common are possible mild stomach pain and constipation; diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, including bad breath. There have also been reports by men taking Saw Palmetto of erectile dysfunction, breast tenderness or enlargement, and changes in sexual desire.

As with any occasion when one uses an herb outside of traditional medicine to treat a condition, it would be prudent to consider medical supervision before using Saw Palmetto.