Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Palm or Cycad
Tree
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Southeastern United States, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Types
Caryota, Fish Tail Palm
Guaiacum officinale
Number of Varieties
203
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Forest edges
Coastal Regions, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Thickets, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-1210-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-10
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 23, 24
H1, H2
Habit
Upright/Erect
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
610.00 cm300.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
300.00 cm370.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Purple, Ivory
Purple, Violet, Blue Violet
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Purple
Yellow, Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green, Dark Green
Green, Olive
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Light Green, Dark Green
Green, Olive
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green, Dark Green
Olive
Shape
Leaf Shape
Linear
Egg-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Slow
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Spring, Spring, Late Winter, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Transplanting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Does not require lot of watering, Use and maintain water-efficient soaker hoses, Use Mulches to help prevent water loss during hot and windy weather, Water in morning to avoid prompting diseases, Water twice a day in the initial period
Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Consistently
In Spring
Moderate
Average Water
In Winter
Average Water
Moderate
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune to stimulate growth
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Fertilize three times a year
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
fungus, Mealybugs, Scale, Spider mites
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Salt
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Bold
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
-
Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Borders
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Sap, Stem
Bark, Sap
Other Uses
Used in making beverages
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Hedges, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Tropical
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical
Botanical Name
CARYOTA mitis
GUAIACUM sanctum
Common Name
Burmese Fishtail Palm, Fishtail Palm
Holy-wood, Lignum Vitae
In Hindi
Fishtail palm
Lignum Vitae
In German
Fishtail palm
Lignum Vitae
In French
Fishtail Palm
Lignum Vitae
In Spanish
Fishtail palma
Palo santo
In Greek
ιχθυόφθαλμους παλάμη
Lignum Vitae
In Portuguese
Fishtail palma
pau-santo
In Polish
Fishtail dłoni
Lignum Vitae
In Latin
fishtail palma
lignum Vitae
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Tracheophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Arecales
Sapindales
Family
Arecaceae
Zygophyllaceae
Genus
Caryota
Guaiacum
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
-
Tribe
Caryoteae
-
Subfamily
Coryphoideae
-
Number of Species
133
1
27800
👆🏻