Description

Saw Palmetto Berry

Wikipedia: Serenoa repens

Names: sabal, American dwarf palm tree, cabbage palm, fan palm

Description:: Member of the fan palms. Small, stout evergreen shrub supported by a large underground trunk. The edge of the leaves has the appearance of a saw. Can grow to approximately 10 feet with leaf clusters that can each attain a length of 2 feet or more. The plant grows from the Carolinas to Texas. Produces a brownish black berry resembling a black olive in size and shape that is harvested commercially. Ripens from October to December.

History: Often regarded as a safe, mild aphrodisiac. Ten to 15 can be eaten daily for a cumulative effect. Their potency is increased when
they are combined with damiana.

Constituents: Volatile oil, fatty oil, with capric, caprylic and lauric acids, fatty acids, carotene, tannin, sitosterol invert sugar, estrogenic substance, steroids, dextrose, resins

Properties: diuretic, urinary antiseptic, endocrine agent, nutritive

Energetics: pungent, sweet, warm

Meridians/Organs Affected: kidney, spleen, liver

Culinary Uses: The terminal bud is edible raw. Its flavor is delicate. The fruits, juicy, bluish- black drupes up to 2 cm long, can be eaten, but  they have a strong taste. Juice extracted from the pulp of the fruits has been mixed with  carbonated water and commercialized in Florida. The seeds have reportedly been used as food as well.