Green Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens) is a long-lived perennial evergreen that may grow 3-6 feet high. This slow-growing shrub produces tiny, white clusters of flowers and black fruit. It blooms spring and summer and spreads, so be sure to plan ahead by providing enough room. It requires full sun to part shade and will thrive in well-drained to poorly-drained loam or sand with acidic to neutral PH. It is salt tolerant. This is the larval host plant for the monk skipper and palmetto skipper butterflies. It is the nectar plant for Bartram's scrub-hairstreak, Atala and other butterflies. The Palmetto berries are a food source for bears and other wildlife, while insects use it for both food and cover.
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