Caryota obtusa 'Thailand'

Caryota obtusa, the giant fishtail palm, is a single-stemmed and truly massive palm from limestone hills and montane forest between north-eastern India, southern China, northern Thailand and Vietnam. A thick, often bulging trunk carries enormous twice-divided leaves held flat and spreading, so that a mature plant resembles a gigantic tree fern.

This listing is the form offered as 'Thailand'; the species is widely sold as Thai giant caryota and under its former name Caryota gigas. Like most fishtails it flowers once, from the top of the stem downwards, and then dies.

At a glance

• Native range: north-eastern India and Bangladesh to southern China, Laos, northern Thailand and Vietnam
• Mature size: 20–40 m in the wild; about 18 m with a 5.5 m crown in cultivation
• Light: full sun
• Water: rich soil kept moist
• Cold hardiness: about −3 °C; frosts of −4 to −6 °C cause damage
• Indoors / outdoors: an outdoor specimen palm for large gardens

Care

Plant it in full sun in rich, moist soil, with plenty of room for its huge, lace-like leaves. In its native range it also copes with poor, rocky limestone soils. Shelter from hot, dry winds keeps the foliage at its best.

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