Arenga caudata

Geoff Stein - Author & Editor

Pronunciation: uh-RENG-uh caw-DAT-uh


Common Name: none

Arenga caudata is a rarely grown, dwarf, clustering Thai palm that actually makes a nice potted or smaller garden plant for the better climates in California. It is, however, fairly marginal and unless grown relatively moistly and protected, tends to look ratty and severely brown tipped.

Appearance and Biology
  • Habit: clustering with a crown of 5-8 pinnate leaves per stem
  • Height: 4'-5'
  • Trunk: multiple; 1/2" thick; covered with a fine layer of brown fiber with some gray-green stem showing through, as well as retained leaf bases
  • Crownshaft: none
  • Spread: 4'-8'+
  • Leaf Description: pinnate; fishtail leaflets; leaves about 3'-4' long; arching; medium to dark green
  • Petiole/Leaf bases: 1' long; very thin; unarmed
  • Reproduction: monoecious
  • Inflorescence: 1' long; arching; from within crown; purplish flowers
  • Fruit: ovoid to spherical; 1/2"; green turning to bright red when ripe; contain oxalates- non-edible
Horticultural Characteristics
  • Minimum Temp: 30F
  • Drought Tolerance: moderate
  • Dry Heat Tolerance: moderate
  • Wind Tolerance: low
  • Salt Tolerance: unknown
  • Growth Rate: very slow to slow with age
  • Soil Preference: adaptable but seems to prefer moist, well draining and acidic
  • Light Requirement: shade to partial sun
  • Human Hazards: toxic fruits (oxalates)
  • Disease or Horticultural Problems: brown tips easily
  • Transplants?: unknown, but suspect fairly tolerant
  • Indoor?: seems to do fairly well in doors
  • Availability: rare


Retrieved from "https://www.palmpedia.net/palmsforcal/index.php5?title=Arenga_caudata&oldid=6985"