Caryota maxima seed

LATIN NAME: CARYOTA MAXIMA

COMMON NAME: Giant Fishtail Palm

The giant fishtail palm tails the single, ringed trunk with the huge, twice-divided leaves, each leaflet split at the tip like the fishtail, and the long, hanging chains of the small, green flowers that open down the trunk through the year, the small, round, red fruits following. The palm grows tall and statuesque, and the leaf tips rattle in the wind. It likes the bright shade or the part sun, and the moist, rich, well-drained soil.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

In the palm family, the fishtail palms have a recognised place in the studies of the tropical garden plants, and the giant species appears in the research on the leaf form and the trunk-borne flowering. The work covers the seed biology and the way the palm grows tall in the warm forests, while the horticulturists value the bold, tropical presence. The botanists note the flower chains that open down the trunk, and the collectors of the big garden palms keep the species in their catalogues.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

In the warm garden, the giant fishtail palm tails the sky with the bold leaves. The fishtail leaflets and the ringed trunk give the lush, tropical presence, the trunks have served the construction and the water conduits for the ages, and the fruits feed the birds. It grows well in the moist, rich, sheltered ground. Bold, statuesque and tropical.

To grow the Giant Fishtail Palm from seed,

Press the seeds into the deep, leafy mix of the warm pot, then cover them lightly, keep the pot in the warm, shaded spot and water gently

Keep the pot warm and steadily moist, and shade the young plant from the hot noon. The fishtail leaves unfurl one after another.

. The seedlings appear within a few weeks, and they grow on steadily. Settle the young palms in the bright shade and the moist, rich ground, and the fishtail leaves will tail the sky over the years.

Seeds from Caryota maxima Himilaya. The largest and most cold hardy of the fishtail palms reaching 40 ft. A fairly large, vigorous and fast growing palm, with cold tolerance reported to 19F. Widespread over South East Asia, the Mountain Fish Tail Palm is found in rainforests at moderate elevations from Burma and southern China south to Sumatra and Java. It is a large palm with a long, smooth trunk and a tall crown with several dark leaves that display a tumbling effect. It will do best in the tropics. For cooler areas, however, Caryota maxima “Himalaya” would be a better choice.