How to Grow a Fishtail Palm - Caryota mitis Care Tips

Fishtail Palm

Caryota mitis

Palms

If you love indoor palm plants but are getting tired of the usual ones like the Bamboo Palm or Neantheabella Palm, it’s time to try a Fishtail Palm. A Fishtail Palm, native to Indonesia, Asia, and the South Pacific, is a large plant that even as a houseplant or office plant can grow as tall as 6-10 ft. tall and 3-5 ft wide. A Fishtail Palm has fan shaped fronds with bipinate smaller leaves. This means that there is a main leaf stem on a Fishtail Palm but the leaves come off of a secondary stem. The leaves of a Fishtail Palm have jagged edges and are shaped like the tail of a fish. A Fishtail Palm requires a little more care than some other palms, but you’ll love its exotic look.

These plants are considered poisonous and should be kept away from pets and children. Read more about common houseplants that are poisonous in Don’t Feed Me To Your Cat! A Guide to Poisonous Houseplants

Light

Fishtail Palms need very bright indirect lightVery few houseplants should be placed in direct sun. High light refers only to bright indirect light since direct sun often burns the leaves of indoor houseplants. An area that is too hot and dry encourages Spider Mites and causes blooms to quickly fade. A northern exposure really doesn't provide enough light for high light plants. These plants need to be placed directly in front of an east-facing window, within 1-3 feet of a west-facing window, and within 5 ft. of a south facing window. A high light area has over 300 ft. candles of light. from an east or west-facing window. Avoid direct exposure to the sun.

Water

Water a Fishtail Palm well and then allow the top 25% of the soil to dry out before watering again. Never allow the soil to totally dry out or permit a Fishtail Palm to sit in excess water. Leaf edges turn brown if there are too many chemicals in the water. If this is the case, use distilled water.

Fertilizer

Fertilize a Fishtail Palm monthly, when it is actively growing, with a basic houseplant food at 1/2 the recommended strength. Never fertilize in the winter.

Temperature

Fishtail Palms prefer temperatures between 75-85 degrees during the day and 60-70 degrees at night. Try to keep a Fishtail Palm out of cold drafts and away from air conditioners. Nighttime temperatures should never go below 45 degrees.

Humidity

A Fishtail Palm thrives in high humidity. It does exceptionally well in spas and indoor pool areas.

Pests

spider mitesLearn how to identify and treat Spider Mites on plants. This sucking plant pest causes yellow blotchy leaves with a red haze and a gritty feel to them. are the main problem. Spray a Fishtail Palm with a mild solution of warm soapy water a few times a month. This prevents and gets rid of spider mitesLearn how to identify and treat Spider Mites on plants. This sucking plant pest causes yellow blotchy leaves with a red haze and a gritty feel to them.. It also keep the fronds clean and free of dust.

Soil

Fishtail Palms grow best when planted in a fast-draining porous soil containing a large amount of organic matter.

Pruning

The new growth on a Fishtail Palm comes from the end of the stalk only. If you cut the newest frond off below where it is attached to the main stem, there will be NO more new growth on the plant.

Propagation

The best way to propagate a Fishtail Palm is by plant divisionLearn how to propagate plants by plant division at https://www.houseplant411.com/glossary.

Clean Air Plant

This is an excellent clean air plantCertain houseplants clean the air of harmful chemicals..

Poisonous Plant Info

A Fishtail Palm is a poisonousPlants are a great addition to homes and offices, but it’s important to know whether your plants are dangerous to children, pets, or even adults. Some plants contain chemicals such as oxalates, solanine, glycosides, or alkaloid lycorine that may cause vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, swelling and redness of the mouth, throat, and lips, and trouble breathing. Touching parts of certain plants, especially the sap, may cause various skin irritations. The weight and age of the human or pet involved, and the part and amount of plant eaten determine how severe the reaction to the toxins will be. Although plants may be listed as non-toxic, they can still cause individual allergic reactions. If there is any question after a houseplant has been ingested or touched immediately call the Poison Control Center 1-800-222-1222 The Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants [Paperback]is an excellent reference to keep around if you have young children and pets. houseplant and has a #2 Toxicity levelThese are general guidelines that describe how poisonous certain houseplants are. It's possible for an allergic reaction to occur from contact with any houseplant, toxic or non-toxic. If there is ever a concern, call: Poison Control Center: ******1-800-222-1222****** Level #1: Houseplants with low toxicity, may be mildly irritating, especially the sap of the plant. Level#2: Houseplants with medium to severe toxicity. Eating parts of these houseplants may result in vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pains, skin irritations, and breathing difficulties. Level #3: These houseplants are very poisonous. When eaten, especially in large quantities, severe vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pains, skin irritations, and breathing difficulties can occur. Level #4: These houseplants are extremely poisonous. Eating parts of these houseplants can be be life threatening. Every plant listed in our Popular HousePlant guide has a section explaining whether or not it is poisonous and, if so, how poisonous. Amaryllis, alocasia, dieffenbachias, crotons, ivies, azaleas, lilies, and philodendrons are just a few of the highly poisonous plants we use in our homes and offices all of the time. If you don't know whether your houseplant is poisonous, go to Ask Judy on the HousePlant411.com website, send her a picture of your plant, and she'll let you know if the houseplant should be kept away from small children and pets. See colorful pictures and get more information about poisonous houseplants in Don’t Feed Me To Your Cat! A Guide to Poisonous Houseplants .

I love Fishtail Palms but I live in a tiny apartment; can I get a small one?

I’ve never seen a small Fishtail Palm for sale commercially. Fishtail Palms are large plants and usually come in grower’s pots that are 10” or bigger. These plants grow about 6-8 inches a year. Fishtail Palms are really for big homes or businesses that have lots of room and lots of light.

2. Why are the tips of the leaves on my Fishtail Palm turning brown?

There could be several reasons: too much fertilizerPlants need fertilizer only when they are actively growing. Slow growing plants in low light require very little plant food. Too much fertilizer is worse than not enough. Most plants prefer a water soluble plant food at 1/2 the recommended strength. Plants that are in bloom or dormant should not be fertilized. Houseplant food contains nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). A fertilizer containing these elements in equal proportion is considered a balanced plant food. Nitrogen helps in photosynthesis and encourages the growth of leaves and stems. Potassium and phosphorus also help in photosynthesis and aid in root and flower development. Most fertilizers have trace elements of other minerals that are lacking in the soil but are necessary for good plant growth. Fertilizers have a high salt content. If a plant is not producing new leaves and doesn’t absorb the fertilizer, salts build up in the soil. These salts can burn the roots, discolor the leaves, and cause new growth to be small. (this usually affects the bottom leaves first), too much fluoride in the water, too little humidity, or allowing the soil to totally dry out. You’ll have to check them out one by one.

4. My Fishtail Palm is in a bright-unheated sunroom. It was doing great; then around December it started to get these rust colored marks on the leaves. Is that spider mites?

I don’t think so. The temperature in the room probably got too cold for a Fishtail Palm and damaged the leaves.

5. My Fishtail Palm is touching the ceiling. How can I cut the main stem back to a better height?

Sorry to say, you cannot cut a palm back to reduce its height. The palm will never grow again. Give it to a friend with higher ceilings.

6. If I use more fertilizer, will the fronds turn a darker green?

No, but you will cause the tips of the leaves to turn brown. If the leaves look faded, you may be giving your Fishtail Palm too much light; if the leaves look blotchy, the plant may have spider mitesLearn how to identify and treat Spider Mites on plants. This sucking plant pest causes yellow blotchy leaves with a red haze and a gritty feel to them..

I put my Fishtail Palm outside for the summer. I can’t believe that it got fruit and flowers. Should I keep them or cut them off?

If you don’t cut the flowers off, the entire stem of the Fishtail Palm will die back. The fruit of a Fishtail Palm contains oxalic acid which can burn your skin; so put on some plastic gloves when you remove the fruit.