The palm is native to the coastal southern states of the United States and Central America. The dried berries come from wild occurrences in these areas. In herbal medicine, the ripe, dried fruits of saw palmetto (Sabalis serrulatae fructus) are used.
Characteristics of saw palmetto
Saw palmetto is a bush palm up to 4 m tall with a short trunk and yellow to gray-green leaves that unfold like a fan. The leaves are divided into about 20 segments and are sharply serrated, which gave the plant its name. The leaves sit on petioles up to 1.5 m long with spines.
Fruits of saw palmetto used as medicine
The dense inflorescences bear oval, one-seeded drupes that are dark red to black when harvested and slightly larger than an olive. The dried saw palmetto fruits are black and between 1 and 3 inches in size.
Inside the berries are the brown pulp and one very hard seed each. The seeds are also brown on the outside, and white on the inside.
Smell and taste of saw palmetto fruit.
Saw palmetto fruits have a slightly unpleasant smell, but not rancid. The taste of saw palmetto fruit is aromatic-sweet at first, but then changes to a burning taste.
