Indian Fishtail Palm : Caryota Obtusa
General information: The Indian Fishtail palm is a monoecious Florida palm tree. It will die after flowering and setting seeds. This Florida palm has a smooth, slender, light-grey, ringed trunk and bipinnate, large, arching, drooping, fishtail (resemble a large fishtail fern) leaves. It is the most massive of all the Fishtail palms. The monoecious plant grows up to a height of 35-60 feet. Natives use the central part of the trunk (the cabbage, fatal bud) as food.
Additional Information:
Common names: Giant Fishtail palm
Growth rate: The Caryota Obtusa has moderately fast growth rate once eastablished.
Habitat: The flowering Florida palm is native to India. In nature it occurs in open wet woodlands and grasslands.
Maintenance: These Florida palm trees prefer medium to light shade, regular watering and well-drained soils. They can tolerate temperatures down to 25-30 F. They are moderately drought and salt tolerant.
Uses: These Florida palms are very common in cultivation. When young they make a great houseplant.
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