Outdoor verdict
Fishtail palm lives outside only in a mild winter, about 28F (USDA 10a+). A real freeze marks it. It can sit in a bright room if your winter is colder than that.
The clustering fishtail palm of bright rooms and frost-free yards. USDA 10a to 12, jagged leaflets, and a plant that dies after flowering on each stem.
Cold hardiness
Survives about 28°F / -2°C. Outdoor range USDA 10a–12a. Hover or click a zone, state, or country. Click a state to open palms that grow there.
Highlighted USDA zones 10a–12a. Green countries can be grown outdoors.
United States
In range Too cold
World
Native Can be grown
Alaska and Hawaii are state outlines with their overall zone range. A country is painted if its mildest inhabited winter is at least one USDA step milder than this palm’s hardiness.
Winter care
Drainage matters more than a blanket. Soil: Rich, moist, well-drained. Water: Moist but never waterlogged (mesic). Wrapping does not buy an extra zone. If the winter is colder than the kill number, keep it in a pot.
Scientific facts
- Leaflets are triangular and jagged, like a fish tail. Bipinnate, unusual among common palms.
- Each stem is monocarpic: flower, fruit, then that cane dies. The clump continues.
- Irritating fruit pulp. Gloves for cleanup. Not a salad palm.
Region of origin
Southeast China to Indochina and Malesia
Native countries
Historical discovery
Joao de Loureiro published Caryota mitis in 1790. It is the clustering fishtail sold for interiors and tropical yards. Caryota urens is the giant solitary toddy palm.
Names
Common names
Fishtail palm, Burmese fishtail palm, Clustering fishtail
Synonyms
- None widely used
Full care guide
The fishtail palm in shops is usually Caryota mitis, a clustering palm with jagged, fish-tail leaflets. USDA 10a to 12 outdoors. Indoors it wants a bright room and even water. Each stem flowers once, then dies. The clump keeps going.
Growth Rate:
Moderate to fast in heat.
Fruit and Flowering:
Irritating pulp. Birds may eat it. Wear gloves. Not edible for you.
Light Requirements:
Bright indirect indoors. Filtered sun to bright shade outdoors. Harsh inland sun burns.
Water Requirements:
Even moisture. Dry air plus dry mix brings mites and brown tips.
Maintenance Level:
Medium. Cut a finished cane at the base after it fruits. Feed in the growing season with palm-specific fertilizer. Rinse indoor dust. Gloves for fruit.
Common Diseases/Pests:
Spider mites indoors, scale, and nutrient yellowing in sand.
Plant Care:
Bright light, even water, frost-free. Do not buy urens expecting a houseplant. That one wants to be a 70-foot tree that then dies.
Fishtail palm Frequently Asked Questions:
Fishtail palm questions
Will Fishtail palm live outside?
Yes, if winter stays above about 28F (USDA 10a+). Below that number it belongs in a pot.
What do nurseries mislabel Fishtail palm as?
Common names wander. The accepted name is Caryota mitis. Read the Latin on the tag before you buy.
Pot or ground for Fishtail palm in a cold state?
Pot if your winter drops below about 28F. Ground only where that number holds.
Fishtail palm or toddy palm?
Mitis is the clustering plant in pots and tropical gardens. Urens is the giant solitary toddy or wine palm. Same jagged leaflets, different life.
Why did a stem die after flowering?
Each cane is monocarpic. Flower, fruit, then that stem is done. Leave the rest of the clump.
Can I grow it indoors?
Yes, in a bright room. It will be a large plant. A north nook is parlor-palm territory.
Are the fruits poisonous?
The pulp is irritating. Do not eat them. Gloves for cleanup.
Related palms
The mix-up, the substitute, then nearby hardiness.
