Difference between revisions of "Caryota mitis"

Revision as of 20:16, 27 July 2015

Pronunciation: care-ee-OH-tuh MY-tiss

Common Name: Clustering Fishtail Palm

Caryota mitis is a fairly commonly available Caryota in California and is the only suckering species in cultivation in California though suckering Caryotas show up that don't seem to fit this species exactly. Though commonly grown, does not always look good in California (gets an untidy look, particularly after some stems start dying post flowering)- needs humidity, some protection from hot sun, and burns in cold. Stems dies after flowering but plant keeps on living sending up new offsets. Variegated forms not all that uncommon.

Appearance and Biology

Habit: clustering with a crown of 6-10 bipinnate fishtail leaves
Height: 15'
Trunk: multiple; densely clustered; 4"-6" thick; grey; ringed with wide internodes; slight fiber above any retained leaf bases, but lower stems clean
Crownshaft: none
Spread: 12'-20'+
Leaf Description: bipinnate; mostly upright to about 45 degree angles; 6'-8' long; bright green; leaflets narrowly wedge-shaped with premorse ends (fishtail) and pendent
Petiole/Leaf bases: 12"-18" long; nearly tubular; unarmed; pale green to yellowy-green; un-split
Reproduction: monoecious; monocarpic (each stem dying after flowering fully)
Inflorescence: below leaves; no new leaves once begins flowering; as new inflorescences form (from bottom to top of trunk) leaves immediately above begin to die; pendent; 12"-16" long; many simple branches
Fruit: olive green turning red to dark red-black when ripe; spherical; 1/2"; toxic oxalates in fruit

Horticultural Characteristics

Minimum Temp: 28F
Drought Tolerance: moderate to poor (tolerates some, but looks bad)
Dry Heat Tolerance: moderate to poor
Cool Tolerance: low to moderate
Wind Tolerance: poor
Salt Tolerance: low
Growth Rate: very slow to slow with age
Soil Preference: widely adaptable
Light Requirement: shade to full sun (looks better with some sun protection)
Human Hazards: toxic fruits (oxalates)
Disease or Horticultural Problems: tends to look ratty in dry, windy conditions (prefers high humidity)
Transplants?: unknown
Indoor?: moderately good
Availability: somewhat rare, but shows up at normal nurseries now and then

Los Angeles, Hooper garden
Los Angeles arboretum near Pasadena, California
Los Angeles arboretum
Los Angeles arboretum
Santa Barbara, California, Schwarz garden
indoor in Orlando, Florida
stems in Los Angeles arboretum
flowering in Los Angeles arboretum
Oahu, Hawaii
Los Angeles arboretum
Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii
variegated palm, Nong Nooch Tropical gardens, Thailand
Floribunda Palms, Hawaii
Floribunda Palms
Floribunda Palms
Floribunda Palms
Floribunda Palms
Floribunda Palms
Floribunda Palms
seedling from seed of a variegated palm, Hawaii

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 '''''Caryota mitis''''' is a fairly commonly available ''Caryota'' in California and is the only suckering species in cultivation in California though suckering Caryotas show up that don't seem to fit this species exactly.  Though commonly grown, does not always look good in California (gets an untidy look, particularly after some stems start dying post flowering)- needs humidity, some protection from hot sun, and burns in cold.  Stems dies after flowering but plant keeps on living sending up new offsets.   Variegated forms not all that uncommon.
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Difference between revisions of "Caryota mitis"

Geoff Stein - Author & Editor

Revision as of 20:16, 27 July 2015