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Fishtail Palm Caryota Mitis
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 « Return |
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| Exposure |
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Sun |
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| Average Height x Width |
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14’ T x 12’ W |
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| Typical Height |
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18’ |
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| Water Requirements |
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Moderate |
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| Spacing |
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8’ |
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| Cold Hardiness |
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30 - 40 |
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| Hardiness Zone |
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10B - 11 |
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| Growth Rate |
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Moderate |
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| Origin |
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Southeast Asia |
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| Salt Tolerance |
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Low |
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| Drought Tolerance |
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Moderate |
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| Soil Requirements |
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Widely adaptable |
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| Light Requirements |
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Moderate to high |
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| Nutritional Requirements |
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Moderate |
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| Uses |
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Specimen tree |
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| Propagation |
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Seed, germinating in 3-4 months |
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| Human Hazards |
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Irritant |
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| Major Pest Problems |
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None |
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| Major Disease Problems |
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Stigmina and other fungal leaf spots, moderate susceptibility to lethal yellowing. |
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The individual stems of the clustering fishtail palm cease vegetative growth after a period of years and begin to flower from the top down. After the fruit has ripened, the stem dies. Fortunately, in this species new clustering stems are continuously coming along to replace those that have fulfilled their short life span. The unusual form of the leaves makes this species an eye-catching specimen plant. Young plants do very well in containers as patio plants and can be acclimated to interior conditions as well. Throughout their broad native range, the fishtail palms are utilized as sources of palm sugar and starch. The fruit contains calcium oxylate crystals that are extremely irritating to the skin. |
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