Caryota

A tropical plant native to Asia and Australia and belonging to the Palm family, Palmaceae. They have bulky cylindrical trunks and large tufts of finely divided leaves. These plants can grow 40-80 feet tall in their native environments. Young plants are used indoors in a greenhouse or as houseplants. In southern Florida and similar moderate climates, these plants are grown outside.

Pot Cultivation

Plants grown in the greenhouse require a minimum temperature of 60 degrees. The best soil mixture to use would be equal parts loam, leaf mold and sand. Repotting is done in March, when a little of the old soil is removed and the plants are set in larger pots. Water is applied liberally from early spring to late fall, but in moderation the rest of the year.

Propagation

New plants can be raised by seeds sown 1 inch deep, in spring, in a pot of sandy soil placed in a propagating case in a hothouse. Suckers are removed from the base of the plant when 3 inches long and potted in small pots.

C. rumphiana	C. cumingii

VARIETIES

• C. rumphiana;
• C. urens;
• C. cumingii;
• C. hendri;
• C. ochlandra;
• C. plumosa.