Fishtail palm

Sun

Partial shade to full sun; give young plants shelter from strong afternoon sun and introduce indoor-grown plants to outdoor light gradually.

Water

Keep evenly moist during active growth, allowing the soil surface to dry slightly between waterings. Water less in cool weather, but do not let the root ball dry out completely.

Soil

Moisture-retentive, well-drained soil enriched with organic matter; use a free-draining container compost for potted plants.

Height

20-30 ft (6-9 m) outdoors; usually smaller in containers

Spread

10-15 ft (3-4.6 m)

Flowers

Mature stems produce hanging clusters of small cream flowers, followed by reddish to dark purple fruit. Flowering is not reliably seasonal in tropical conditions.

Foliage

Large, arching, twice-divided evergreen leaves with broad, wedge-shaped leaflets and jagged tips.

Growth

Moderate to fast in warm, humid conditions

Care needed

Medium

• Pollinators
• Heat tolerant
• Wildlife

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   7 ft (2 m)

2. After 1 year

   8 ft (2.3 m)

3. After 2 years

   9 ft (2.7 m)

4. After 3 years

   10 ft (3 m)

5. After 5 years

   12 ft (3.7 m)

About 16 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Toxic

Invasive in

the US

In the garden

Spreads vigorously: plan to contain it.

Growth rate

Fast

• Water deeply during warm, dry spells without leaving the roots waterlogged.
• Feed outdoor plants during the growing season with a palm fertiliser containing magnesium and trace elements, following the label.
• Apply a 2-3 in (5-8 cm) organic mulch, keeping it clear of the stems.
• Shelter from cold, drying winds and protect container plants from frost.
• Keep indoor plants in bright, filtered light, away from heating vents, and check regularly for mites.

Pruning. Remove fully brown leaves as needed, without cutting into green stems or removing healthy green fronds. Cut a stem down at its base once it has finished fruiting and died; wear gloves and eye protection when handling fruit or sap.

Spring

Repot container plants if root-bound, or refresh the surface compost on large specimens.

Spring

Begin feeding as active growth resumes and renew mulch around outdoor clumps.

Summer

Water regularly during dry weather and inspect leaf undersides for spider mites and scale.

Autumn

Move container plants into a bright, frost-free space before nights become cold.

Winter

Reduce watering in cool conditions, while keeping the root ball slightly moist.

Year-round

Remove dead fronds and spent stems; collect fallen fruit with gloves where children or pets could reach it.

• Plant as a tall, informal screen in a sheltered, frost-free garden.
• Use a single clump as a foliage focal point beside broad-leaved tropical plants.
• Grow in a large container in a bright conservatory or spacious indoor courtyard.
• Underplant with shade-tolerant ferns and cast iron plants for a layered green planting.

Garden styles it suits: Modern tropical, Tropical, Luxury resort, Architectural minimal, Modern courtyard and Balinese.

Plant it with: Bird's nest fern, Cast iron plant, Shell ginger, Philodendron and Bromeliads.

Wildlife: Flowers attract insects, and birds may eat the fruit and disperse the seeds. Do not encourage fruiting where the palm can escape into nearby natural areas.

• Spider mites cause pale, speckled leaves, especially indoors: rinse leaf undersides and use an insecticidal soap labelled for the pest if needed.
• Scale insects and mealybugs cause sticky deposits and weak growth: isolate affected container plants and treat with a suitable horticultural oil or insecticidal soap.
• Yellowing or spotted older fronds can indicate nutrient deficiency: use a complete palm fertiliser rather than repeatedly removing affected green leaves.
• Cold or waterlogged soil can cause browning and root decline: improve drainage, reduce watering in cool weather and move pots to frost-free shelter.

The fruit pulp contains irritating calcium oxalate crystals and is harmful to people, cats and dogs if chewed or swallowed, causing mouth pain, swelling and digestive upset. Handling fruit or sap can cause marked skin and eye irritation. Horse-specific toxicity information is limited, so keep fruit and prunings away from grazing animals; seek urgent help for breathing or swallowing difficulties.

Where it spreads. Invasive in parts of southern Florida, where bird-dispersed seedlings can establish in natural vegetation. Avoid planting near natural areas there and remove seedlings promptly.

• Solitary fishtail palm (Caryota urens)

  Has one trunk rather than a suckering clump and generally becomes much taller; the whole plant dies after its flowering cycle.

• Giant fishtail palm (Caryota gigas)

  Forms a single massive trunk with much larger, broadly spreading leaves, rather than the multiple slender stems of Caryota mitis.

The common name refers to the jagged, fish-tail-shaped leaflets, while the Latin mitis means soft or mild.

Propagation. Grow from fresh seed in warm, consistently moist conditions; remove the irritating fruit pulp while wearing gloves. Established clumps can sometimes be divided by separating a well-rooted sucker, although poorly rooted divisions often fail.

Accepted botanical name

Caryota mitis

In the US and Canada

Introduced in the lower 48 states and Pacific Basin.

Native range

Andaman Is., Bangladesh, Borneo, Cambodia, China Southeast, Hainan, Jawa, Laos, Lesser Sunda Is., Malaya, Myanmar and Nicobar Is..

Measured

Average height 1000 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.