Caryota Urens, Fish Tail Palm - 0.5 kg Seeds

The Fishtail Palm (Caryota urens), known in India as Mari or the jaggery palm, is a tall, solitary palm instantly recognised by its bipinnate fronds whose leaflets are jagged and triangular like a fish's tail. It is a striking architectural palm for large gardens and avenues, and economically important as a source of palm sugar (jaggery), toddy and strong leaf-sheath fibre.

Native to India and Sri Lanka, it occurs naturally in the moist forests of the Western Ghats, the Northeast and the sub-Himalayan tract, favouring humid, well-watered sites. It is monocarpic, flowering once in long hanging inflorescences from the top down before dying, and is planted as both an ornamental and a tapping palm for sap.

• Family: Arecaceae
• Native region: India and Sri Lanka
• Mature height: 12-20 m
• Growth rate: Moderate

The round fruits contain irritant oxalate crystals, so wear gloves while cleaning the pulp from the seeds, then soak the cleaned seeds in water for a day or two. Sow them about 1-2 cm deep in deep bags or trays of warm, moist, well-drained mix; germination is slow and erratic, often taking one to three months. Pot on the seedlings individually and grow them in partial shade before planting out.