Paurotis Palm, Silver Saw Palmetto


Scientific Name: Acoelorrhaphe wrightii (Griseb. & H. Wendl.) H. Wendl. ex Becc.
Synonyms: Paurotis wrightii, Acoelorraphe arborescens
Acoelorrhaphe wrightii
Size: Up to 15 feet (4.5 m) Up to 8 feet per stem (2.4 m), but spread with time through new stems
Min. Temperature: 20°F (-6°C)
Water Requirements: Ample to regular water
Sun Requirements: Full sun to light shade
Origin: Florida to Central America
Leaf: Costapalmate, Green top, lighter silvery bottom. 35 to 55 one inch wide segments. 3 feet wide. Orange teeth on the margin, 3 feet long petioles..
Trunk: Clustering Slender, covered with brown fiber, persistent spiny leaf sheaths and petiole bases. On older plants, the trunk is sometimes bare
Flower: Bisexual white flowers. Flower stalk coming from among the leaves, erect, longer than the leaves (5 feet long - 1.2 m). Tend to droop when the fruits ripen..
Fruit: Brownish orange, turning black when ripe. 0.2 to 0.4 inch (5-9 mm). round, one seeded.
Seed: Round.