Saw Palmetto

November is month of many things. There's Thanksgiving, and Veteran's Day for starters. It's also Prostate Cancer Awareness month.  With gardening, the first thing that jumps to mind is Serenoa repens, otherwise known as saw palmetto, which is reputed to aid in prostate health among many other things.  Also called the scrub palm, this Florida native can grow in some surprising places such as Alaska due to its cold hardiness to 0 Fahrenheit. It has a slow growth rate with stems that eventually grow into creeping rhizomes, stretching about 15 feet, resulting in clusters of 20 feet or more. It makes a great landscape plant due to its evergreen fan shaped palm leaves and the saw like spines lining the petioles, make it tough to boot. It's small fleshy berries are great for the habitat garden and where the medicinal uses are derived from, although I understand they taste just nasty.  Oh well.  Leave it to the birds.