According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, two people were arrested Monday on suspicion of illegally harvesting 801 pounds of saw palmetto berries in Plant City.

The incident raises the question: What are saw palmetto berries? And what can you do with so many of them?

The multi-trunked palms native to Florida can grow up to 3 meters tall and 3 meters wide. They have fan-shaped fronds that vary in color from green to blue-silver. In spring, the plants produce 90 cm long flower stalks. From August to October, the flowers are followed by small yellow berries that turn black and ripen.

According to Ken Gioeli, St. Lucie County natural resources officer at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, the plants provide food and shelter for more than 211 species of wildlife, from mammals to bees to butterflies.

And people’s interest in the berries is increasing.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services estimates that wholesale sales of saw palmetto berries are approximately $7 to $8 per pound.

At Life Essentials in Tampa, a local organic food store, you can buy sliced ​​and sifted saw palmetto berries for $3.78 an ounce. The website says they are rich in fatty acids and phytosterols and is used to promote prostate health. Mainly men buy the berries in the store, citing urinary and prostate problems, said owner Sheila Haque.

According to UF, “some people believe that extracts from the berries may be an alternative treatment for prostate cancer,” although the American Cancer Society says there is no evidence for this.

According to the National Institutes of Health, the plant has been used in the past to treat reproductive disorders and coughs due to various diseases. And there is a history of the plant being used by indigenous peoples before European settlers arrived in Florida.

Today, saw palmetto fruit is promoted as a dietary supplement for numerous ailments, including urinary tract problems associated with enlarged prostate glands, chronic pelvic pain, migraines, and hair loss. according to the health institutes.

Two agency-funded studies found that the berries were no more effective than a placebo for symptoms of prostate enlargement. And there isn’t enough research on other conditions to draw solid conclusions. Yet major companies like GNC and The Vitamin Shoppe sell prostate support supplements made from the berries.

To harvest the berries, one must obtain written permission from the landowner and a permit from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. This requirement was implemented in 2018 after the berries were added to the department’s list of commercial crops. Saw palmetto is not a commercial crop because it grows extremely slowly, Gioeli said.

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Last month, illegally harvesting saw palmetto fruit and possessing or exchanging illegally harvested fruit were declared third-degree felonies, both of which are punishable by up to five years in prison.