A 1996 study by authors Maehr and Layne found that the Saw palmetto (Sereona rapens) provides habitat and/or food for more than 100 bird species, 27 mammals, 25 amphibians and 61 reptiles like the Black Racer (Coluber constrictor) seen in the picture. That is not to mention the countless insects and other arthropods that make this dense cover their home (thus a keystone species).
The leaves are fan-shaped, like the Sabal Palm but do not have a costa (the triangular division running down the center of the leaves). The picture shows a Saw Palmetto leaf on the left and a Sabal Palm leaf on the right. Find a young Sabal Palm across the trail. The leaf stem of the Saw Palmetto has spines along sides like a saw. You can carefully run your fingers down the stem to feel them. White Flowers grow on spikes, as seen in the picture, and the honey is said to contain many health benefits. The berries turn black when ripe and are sought after by humans as a nutritional supplement for prostate health. In Florida there has been so much trouble with people taking Saw Palmetto berries that you must have a permit to harvest them, even from your own property.
The stem resides mostly underground and can go on for 15 feet putting out roots every few feet as it grows. You can see some of the stems here but later on we will visit a Saw Palmetto with a very long stem mostly above ground. During a fire the flammable leaves quickly burn away but the stem lives on underground and new leaves sprout up soon afterwards.
