Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Shrub
Palm or Cycad
Origin
South Africa
United States, Southeastern United States
Types
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Serenoa repens
Number of Varieties
71
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Boggy areas, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge, Sunny Edge, Woodland Garden Canopy
Coastal sand dunes, Dry areas, moist forests, Wet lands
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-118-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
12-8
Sunset Zone
H1, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
365.76 cm210.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
182.88 cm300.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Yellow, Ivory
White
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Light Green, Blue Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Blue Green, Gray Green, Silver
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Blue Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
Blue Green, Olive, Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Egg-shaped
Palmate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Medium
Slow
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Winter, Late Winter
Spring, Late Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site
Wet Site, Pollution, Salt, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires 4 to 8 inches of water above the soil line
Drought Tolerant, occasional watering once established
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Prune in early summer, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Trim each shoot back to the first set of leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Birds
Plant Tolerance
Wet Site
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
-
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Fine
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies
Birds
Allergy
Toxic
gas, Heartburn, Nausea, Stomach pain, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Emetic, Febrifuge, Laxative, Odontalgic, Ophthalmic, Tonic
chest congestion, Cough, Digestion problems, Inflammation, Sedative, Thyroid problems, Urinary problems
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Fruits, Inner Bark, Root, Wood
Fruits
Other Uses
Used for woodware
Paper pulp, Used in herbal medicines
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bog Garden, Cutflower, Dried Flower, Everlasting, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical
Botanical Name
BERZELIA lanuginosa
SERENOA repens
Common Name
Buttonbush
Saw Palmetto
In Hindi
Buttonbush shrub
Serenoa
In German
Button Strauch
Sägepalme
In French
buttonbush arbuste
Serenoa repens
In Spanish
arbusto buttonbush
Serenoa repens
In Greek
Buttonbush θάμνος
Serenoa
In Portuguese
arbusto Buttonbush
Serenoa repens
In Polish
Buttonbush krzew
Serenoa
In Latin
Frutex Buttonbush
Serenoa
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Rubiales
Arecales
Family
Bruniaceae
Arecaceae
Genus
Cephalanthus
Serenoa Hook. f.
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
Trifolieae
Subfamily
-
Coryphoideae
Number of Species
124
1
27800
👆🏻