The Paurotis palm naturally grows as a clumping tree in swampy areas in  Florida, the Everglades, the Caribbean islands and Central America. The palms form very attractive large clumps several meters wide with several taller trunks towering above the others. The Paurotis palm is a beautiful ornamental specimen for residential and commercial landscapes with a lot of open space.

Additional Information:

Scientific name: Acoelorrhaphe Wrightii

Family: Arecaceae

Genus: Acoelorrhaphe

Name: It is named the Silver Saw Palmetto because the leaves are silver underneath with saw-like teeth along the edges. It is called the Everglades palm because it is native to the Everglades.

Other names: Eveglades palm, Silver Saw Palmetto, Paroutis Everglades palm, Madiera palm.

Origin: It is native to Florida, the Carribean Islands and Central America.

Growth rate: Moderate

Trunk: The clustering, tall, slender, brown-tan, rough with spines and fibres trunk can reach 15-25 feet tall. The plant constantly produces new clumps that appear at the base of the cluster. They lean away from each other. On older clumps, the trunks are often bare.

Leaves: The fan shaped leaves, deeply divided with orange saw-lke teeth along the edges can reach 3 feet long. Each stem bears 20-28 leaves.

Indoor/Outdoor Use: Outdoor

Maintenance: Moderate. It requires pruning stems to keep it clean. It looks better when dead leaves are removed. 

Light exposure: It loves full sun or partial shade.

Water requirements: It is needed a lot of water.

Drought toleration: It has low drought tolerance. It required ample of water.

Cold toleration: It is a cold hardy. It will take down a temperature of  20 F.

Flowers: It flowers in early summer. The long (up to 5 feet), drooping stalks of white-green flowers come among the leaves. The flowers are bisexual.

Fruits: The Paurotis palms produce red orange fruits that become black when ripe.

Propagation: It is propagated from seed and planting clumps. Germination takes 2-3 months.

Return to Florida Palm Trees main page.