Fishtail Palm
Sources last read 14 September 2026.
Not yet rated How forgiving it is has not been judged here yet.
Also called Burmese fishtail palm, clustered fishtail palm, Clustering fishtail palm and tufted fishtail palm.
Fishtail Palm is toxic
- Not assessed for cats. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Not assessed for dogs. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Toxic to people. Harmful when eaten; irritates skin. Use gloves and protective gear when handling it. RHS
What the sources say about its care
The sources disagree about light for this plant. Both readings are shown in the table below. This is the norm in houseplant advice rather than the exception.
- Light
The sources disagree. These do not describe the same conditions: Clemson Extension says "Medium light" and RHS says "Full sun". Both are shown; this site does not pick between them.
Medium light 100 fcClemson Extension · read 13 September 2026Full sunRHS · read 13 September 2026- Water
- Moist but well-drainedRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Humidity
No source read publishes a humidity figure for any plant on this site. What follows is general guidance for foliage plants.
ASHRAE recommends indoor relative humidity between 30% and 60% 30–60%Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026- Temperature
How cold this tolerates, not what it prefers. No source read for this site publishes a preferred range for a plant indoors.
H1C — 5–10°C 5–10 °CRHS · read 13 September 2026- Soil
- Loam, Sand; pH Acid or Alkaline or NeutralRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to cats
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to dogs
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Harmful to people
- Harmful when eaten; irritates skin. Use gloves and protective gear when handling it.RHS · read 13 September 2026
Routine care
- Watering
- Water only once the soil is dry.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026During growth, water moderately and feed monthly with a balanced liquid fertiliser. Give little water in winter.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Feeding
- While growing, water moderately and feed monthly with a balanced liquid fertiliser.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Propagation
- By division or seed.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026In spring sow seed at 27°C.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pruning
- Pruning is not needed.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pests and diseases
- Can be troubled by fern scale, root mealybugs, greenhouse thrips and banded greenhouse thrips.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Glasshouse red spider mite and scale insects can attack it. Disease is uncommon.RHS · read 13 September 2026
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Photographs
About the plant
Caryota mitis, known as the clustering fishtail palm or fishtail palm, is a species of palm native to Tropical Asia from India to Java to southern China, now sparingly naturalized in southern Florida and in parts of Africa and Latin America. The species was originally described from Vietnam in 1790. In Florida, it grows in hummocks and in disturbed wooded areas.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · read 13 September 2026
- Native range
- SE. China to Indo-China and MalesiaWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Southeast China to Indo-China and Malesia, India, Philippines.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026SE China to Indo-China & MalesiaRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Climate
- wet tropicalWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- Growth form
- Perennial, Shrub, Tree; habit clumping, erectNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Clump forming (evergreen)RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Size
- Height 180–300 in; width 96–144 inNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Height 4-8 metres; spread 2.5-4 metres after 20–50 yearsRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Flowering
- Flowers purple/lavender; blooms in summerNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Flowers cream in summerRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Uses
What sources record people using this plant for. A traditional or medicinal use listed here is a record of use, not advice to eat it or treat anything with it.
Fishtail palm serves as a poison, a medicine, fuel and food. Its immature seeds can be eaten (they are sold canned as a delicacy), but the berries are toxic.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
More of the Arecaceae family
Areca palmA thin dry rim that crumbles between the fingers
Chusan palmBleached patches on the side facing the glass
Kentia palmDry, curled edges on fronds near a heater
Lady palmA thin dry rim that crumbles between the fingers
Parlour palmCrisp margins that appear in winter
Pygmy date palmA thin dry rim that crumbles between the fingers
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Sources
- ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Clemson Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Wikipedia · read 13 September 2026
What this does not cover
The figures above are what published sources say, not measurements of the plant in your room. They say nothing about your pot size, your water, the season, or how far from the glass the plant stands, and those decide more than any figure here does.
Humidity has no species figure because no source read for this site publishes one, and the only temperature published for this plant is a cold floor. The simulator fills those gaps with general figures for its kind of plant, marked as general and listed on how we read sources. Where a toxicity row says the plant was not assessed, that is the absence of a finding and not a finding of safety.
If something is already wrong, the diagnosis tool asks about the soil, the window and the watering, which is where the answer usually is.