Fishtail Palms, Delivered and Planted in SW Florida
With wedge-shaped fishtail leaflets and a clumping habit, fishtail palm does well in Southwest Florida in rich, moist soil and bright shade to sun. It makes a fast tropical screen or a courtyard accent. We deliver and plant 25 gallon palms and field-grown 10 to 13 ft and 14 to 17 ft sizes.
- Light:
- Part shade to full sun; best in bright shade or morning sun
- Water:
- High; needs regular moisture, not drought tolerant
- Salt:
- Low; keep out of salt spray
Fishtail Palm sizes we deliver and plant
Every size below is planted by our crew, set at the right depth and watered in. Send the size and how many, and we text back a planted price, usually within the hour during the day.
| Plant | Sizes |
|---|---|
| Fishtail Palm | 25 Gallon, Field Grown 10'-13', Field Grown 14'-17' |
Fishtail Palm in SW Florida, at a glance
- Mature size here
- 15 to 30 ft tall as a multi-stem clump, 8 to 12 ft wide
- Light
- Part shade to full sun; best in bright shade or morning sun
- Water
- High; needs regular moisture, not drought tolerant
- Salt tolerance
- Low; keep out of salt spray
- Cold tolerance
- Fronds burn near 30°F and a hard freeze can kill a young clump; coastal Lee is usually fine, cover young palms inland on frost nights
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 8 to 12 ft apart for a screen
- Florida native
- No, native to Southeast Asia
- Botanical name
- Caryota mitis
Where Fishtail Palm works in a SW Florida yard
Fishtail palm brings a lush, jungle look to courtyards, entries and the bright shade of larger trees. Use one clump as a focal point, or a row for a tropical screen along a fence; the field-grown sizes give you height on day one.
Keep it 8 to 10 ft from the house and out of the pool cage, since the clump widens and the fruit is messy. Ferns and bromeliads fit around the base.
- Tropical privacy screen
- Courtyard accent palm
- Bright-shade understory
- Multi-stem focal clump
How our crew plants it
Dig wider than the root ball rather than deeper: our crew sets the top of the root ball at or just above grade, backfills with native sand, waters it in and cleans up. Field-grown palms are braced with stakes until roots anchor them.
Mulch 2 inches, off the stems. New palms need frequent water, and Lee and Collier allow extra watering for new plantings.
Care after planting
- Keep the soil moist, because fishtail palms drink more than most palms; mulch, and water on your assigned days, using the extra watering allowed for new plantings.
- Fishtail palms are heavy feeders: apply a palm fertilizer such as 8-2-12 with micronutrients in spring and early fall, and skip nitrogen and phosphorus June 1 to September 30 under the Lee County, Naples and Marco Island ban.
- Each stem flowers from the top down, fruits and then dies, which is normal, so cut dead stems out at the base and let the younger stems take over.
- Cut flower stalks off before the fruit ripens to avoid the mess and the seed spread.
What to watch for
- UF/IFAS lists clustering fishtail palm as a caution species for South Florida, meaning it should be managed to prevent escape by seed, so cut flower stalks before fruit ripens and keep it away from preserve edges.
- Ripe fruit contains calcium oxalate crystals that can irritate skin and mouths, so wear gloves when you clean it up and keep it away from kids and pets.
- Yellow or frizzled older fronds point to potassium or magnesium shortages in sandy soil, which a palm fertilizer with micronutrients prevents.
Fishtail Palm questions we hear
Do fishtail palms do well in Florida?+
Yes, in rich, moist soil and bright shade to full sun, where they grow quickly into a lush clump. They dislike drought, salt spray and cold, so water them regularly and cover young plants on frost nights if you are inland.
Why is a stem on my fishtail palm dying?+
Each stem of a clumping fishtail palm flowers from the top down, sets fruit and then dies. That is normal, and the younger stems keep the clump going. Cut the dead stem out at the base. If whole stems yellow early, check watering and feed with a palm fertilizer.
How close to the house or pool can I plant a fishtail palm?+
Give it 8 to 10 ft from the house and out of the pool cage. The clump widens over time, the fronds spread, and the fruit is messy and can irritate skin. A fence line or the corner of a yard is a better spot.
Updated October 2026
Get a planted price on Fishtail Palm
Tell us what and how many. Quinten prices it from the nursery's live list and texts you back, usually within the hour during the day.
Only need the plant delivered, no planting? It is on our nursery's list at Palm & Plant Co.
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We deliver and plant across Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Naples, Estero, Bonita Springs and about an hour around.