Jatin Gurjar, no rights reserved (CC0) · GBIF

Caryota spp.

fishtail palms

Arecaceae

Tropical Asia and the western Pacific

Container Friendly

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterHigh

HardinessZones 9–11

Overview

Caryota spp. is a genus of about 13 palms in the family Arecaceae, native from India and Sri Lanka through Southeast Asia to northern Australia and the Solomon Islands. They are the only palms with bipinnate (twice-divided) leaves, the individual leaflets cut into ragged, wedge-shaped segments that resemble a fishtail. Species range from the clumping C. mitis at 8-25 feet (2.5-8 m) to solitary giants such as C. gigas reaching 80-100 feet (25-30 m). Trunks are ringed by old leaf scars and may be single or clustered. The genus is hapaxanthic: a stem flowers once, producing pendent branched inflorescences from the crown downward over several years, then dies after fruiting, though clustering species persist through suckers. C. urens is tapped for sugary sap used to make jaggery and palm wine. The fruit pulp holds needle-like calcium oxalate crystals that irritate skin and mucous membranes. Frost tenderness and the eventual death of flowered stems limit the genus to warm, frost-free climates.

Native Range

Native to tropical Asia and the western Pacific, from India and Sri Lanka through mainland and island Southeast Asia to northern Australia and the Solomon Islands. Several species grow as understory or forest-edge palms in monsoon and rainforest regions.

Suggested Uses

Grown as a tropical and subtropical specimen palm in gardens and large containers, and indoors in bright rooms where C. mitis is a common clustering houseplant. The bold bipinnate foliage suits courtyards, atriums, and conservatory plantings.

How to Identify

Caryota spp. is known at once by its bipinnate fronds, the only palms built this way, with leaflets shaped like ragged triangles or fishtails and bitten off at the tips. Trunks are ringed and either solitary or clumped from a shared base. Mature palms send out branched, drooping inflorescences from the top of the crown downward. Round fruits ripen red to purple-black and carry irritating crystals in the flesh.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height8' - 100'

Width/Spread6' - 20'

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

A mature stem flowers only once, then dies. Flowering begins at the top of the crown and works downward over two to several years, each pendent inflorescence carrying creamy to greenish flowers. In tropical conditions flowering is tied to maturity rather than a fixed season.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

creamy white to greenish

Foliage Description

dark green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 4-8 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.5 - 7.0(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

High

Frost Tolerance

tender

Time to Maturity

10-20 years to flowering

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Young Caryota spp. palms grow in bright filtered light, while established plants take full sun in humid climates. They need rich, moist, well-drained soil and steady warmth above 50°F (10°C); growth slows and foliage browns below that. Consistent moisture and humidity suit them, with the soil kept evenly damp but never waterlogged. Most species are hardy only in USDA zones 9b-11, with C. gigas and C. urens among the more cold-tolerant. Clumping kinds can have spent flowered stems cut out to keep the clump in growth.

Pruning

Only dead or broken fronds are removed, cut close to the trunk. In clustering species, a stem that has finished flowering and fruiting can be taken out at the base, since it will not recover. Contact with the fruit pulp is avoided because of its irritant crystals.