Caryota monostachya

Caryota monostachya is a small, clump-forming fishtail palm of the forest understorey in southern China and northern and central Vietnam. Its thin stems rarely exceed 3 m and carry the twice-divided, ragged-tipped leaves typical of fishtail palms.

What sets it apart is its flowering shoot: instead of a broom of many hanging branches, it is usually a single unbranched spike, which gives the species its name. Small enough for a modest garden or a large container, and more tolerant of cool winters than most of its relatives, it remains uncommon in cultivation.

At a glance

• Native range: southern China (Guangxi, Guizhou, Yunnan) and Vietnam
• Mature size: 1.5–3 m
• Growth rate: slow, especially as a seedling
• Light: shade or dappled light; strong sun bleaches the leaves
• Water: evenly moist, humus-rich, well-drained soil
• Cold hardiness: about −3 °C when sheltered; one sheltered plant came through about −4 °C undamaged
• Indoors / outdoors: a shady garden palm in mild climates and a fine container palm

Care

Give it dappled light or early-morning sun only, in a humus-rich loam kept evenly moist. Young plants in large pots of wet compost are prone to root rot, so use a free-draining mix and a pot that is not oversized. Brown leaf edges on pot plants are usually linked to drought, overwatering or very soft water lacking calcium.

Why Palmpedia: Grown in our greenhouse in Almeirim, Portugal, and supplied in 15 L to 35 L pots.