fishtail palm
Caryota mitis
USDA zones9 to 11
SunHandles full sun or partial sun or full shade
WaterHandles dry to moist soil
Size15 to 25 feet tall8 to 12 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Habit
- Clumping
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn, winter
- Bloom color
- Purple
- Foliage color
- Green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay
- Soil pH
- Acid, neutral, alkaline
Garden uses
Notes
Fishtail palm (Caryota mitis) is a clumping palm for containers, specimen planting, privacy screens, and accents. It grows outdoors year-round in USDA zone 9 and warmer, down to about 20°F (-7°C). In colder areas, grow it as a houseplant or bring it indoors for winter. This plant likes full sun to full shade and dry to moist, sandy, loamy, or clay soil. It stays evergreen and grows at a moderate pace. The green fronds sit on a clump that can reach about 15 to 25 feet tall, so give it room.
Pairs well with Vittatum spider plant, Creeping fig, and Asiatic jasmine.
Native range
Southeast China to Indo-China and Malesia, India, and Philippines..