Fishtail Palm

Caryota mitis Lour.

care-ee-OH-tah  MY-tis

Arecaceae

Explanation of name: Caryota comes from Greek, caryon, nut (JON). Mitis means mild or soft in Latin (STE).

Natural range: Tropical Asia (BA2). Rainforest (ELL)

Recognition: A suckering, clumping palm with large, twice-compound, fernlike fronds having wedge-shaped leaflets resembling fishtails. The irritating purple fruits are the size of large grapes.

            Additional species of Caryota turn up in South Florida landscaping: Caryota urens L. Wine Palm or Jaggery Palm, has similar leaves but is single-trunked to 40’ tall. Borne on inflorescences as long as 20’, its fruits are red. This palm is a source of sugary sap used for wine and other alcoholic beverages and a fiber called kittul (BA2). This species is monocarpic (dies after fruiting). JON suggests well drained rich soil with ample water.

            Caryota gigas Hahn ex Hodel from tropical Asia, especially the Himalayan Foothills, is called Thai Mountain Giant Palm and has a cultivar ‘King Kong’. Caryota gigas is single-trunked and larger than C. urens, rising to 70’ tall or more and having more or less upright, perky (vs. droopy) leaves up to 15’ long with distinctively rounded leaflets. It dies after flowering. (DAV, NUR).

            Caryota maxima Blume, Giant Mountain Fishtail Palm or Himalayan Fishtail Palm, resembles C. gigas and ranges naturally from Thailand south to Java and Sumatra. It is single-trunked with large, bipinnate leaves and can become even larger than C. gigas, reaching about 100’ tall (NUR). The cultivar name ‘Himalaya’ (or other forms of this word) is associated with this species.

Landscape uses (C. mitis): Useful as a focal point where a very large, aggressive ferny-looking palm might fit. Shade tolerance makes it an option for challenging shaded places where its size can be accommodated. The largest specimen at Palm Beach Community College, in a partially sunny site amid other lawn trees, has suffered from hurricanes and other extreme weather. This species can not be used in any situation where children or unsuspecting persons might touch the fruits, which cause a violent burning sensation upon skin contact. Individual stems die post-fruiting and are replaced by suckers.

Additional notes: Caryota mitis has escaped cultivation in South Florida (WU1). ELL gives 6-12 months for germination. The variegated form photographed in ELL is unattractive and resembles a plant with a nutrient deficiency.