How often to water clustered fishtail palm in California
In July on the south coast, established clustered fishtail palm in loam needs a deep watering about every 7 days: about 55 gallons each time under a 10 foot canopy, about 56 gallons a week. Clustered fishtail palm forms a clump of slender stems with leaves cut into ragged, wedge-shaped segments that look like goldfish tails. Each stem flowers once and then dies, while new stems keep rising from the base. It is a tropical palm for frost-free gardens and bright indoor rooms, and it does best with steady moisture.
How often to water clustered fishtail palm, month by month
Type your city above and the days between waterings and the gallons appear here, worked out from your city's climate table. Or read the figures by climate zone further down.
How this is worked out: established roots fill the top 1.5 feet of soil, and you water again when that soil has dried halfway. Loam soil holds about 1.5 inches of water per foot. Water the whole area under the branches, and skip a watering after a good soaking rain.
How to tell it needs water
- Soil dry 2 inches down around the clump means clustered fishtail palm is ready for water
- Leaf segments browning at the ragged tips can follow a dry root zone or dry air
- A stem browning from the top after it has flowered is normal, since each stem dies after fruiting
- Fine speckling and webbing on the leaves point to spider mites, a serious pest indoors
- Yellowing fronds and a soft base in soggy soil point to poor drainage
How to water it
- Water clustered fishtail palm across the whole clump base, reaching new shoots at the edge
- Moisten the soil about a foot deep, then water again when the top inch or two dries
- Plant in well-drained soil in sun or shade, sheltered from frost and salt spray
- Mulch the root area, keeping mulch off the stem bases
- Cut out stems after they flower and die, and keep watering the new shoots that replace them
Through the seasons
Keep a new clustered fishtail palm evenly moist while roots establish. Established clumps keep growing through the warm months and need regular deep water then. Stems that have flowered die back and can be cut out as new shoots replace them. Cool weather slows growth, so water less in winter, but do not let the soil dry completely. Protect it from frost. WUCOLS rates clustered fishtail palm high water on the south coast. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the north-central coast, the Central Valley, South Inland, the high desert or the low desert.
In pots
Clustered fishtail palm is a popular container palm for patios and bright interiors. Use a pot with drainage holes and a rich, well-drained mix. Outdoors in warm weather, check 2 inches down every few days and water when dry. Indoors, water when the top inch or two is dry and watch for spider mites and scale. Empty the saucer each time. Bring outdoor pots inside or under cover before frost.
- A year
- no figure
- Reference
- Sacramento climate table
- Counts
- Plant need, before sprinkler losses
WUCOLS lists Clustered Fishtail Palm as not suited to this region for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.
Monthly water need by climate zone
Clustered Fishtail Palm: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone
| Month | N. Coast | C. Valley | S. Coast | S. Inland | Hi Desert | Lo Desert |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | – | – | 1.24 | – | – | – |
| Feb | – | – | 1.29 | – | – | – |
| Mar | – | – | 1.84 | – | – | – |
| Apr | – | – | 2.23 | – | – | – |
| May | – | – | 2.58 | – | – | – |
| Jun | – | – | 2.78 | – | – | – |
| Jul | – | – | 3.17 | – | – | – |
| Aug | – | – | 2.98 | – | – | – |
| Sep | – | – | 2.38 | – | – | – |
| Oct | – | – | 1.84 | – | – | – |
| Nov | – | – | 1.34 | – | – | – |
| Dec | – | – | 1.04 | – | – | – |
| Year | – | – | 24.8 | – | – | – |
How this is worked out: the WUCOLS water rating for each zone times that zone’s climate for the month. A dash means WUCOLS does not rate the plant there. The figures are what the plant uses, before sprinkler losses.
Plants with the same water needs 16
Rated not suited to this region in the Central Valley, like clustered fishtail palm. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.
Chenille PlantAcalypha hispidanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
CopperleafAcalypha wilkesiananot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Sugar MapleAcer saccharumnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Queensland KauriAgathis robustanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
CherimoyaAnnona cherimolanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Yellow Bell BauhiniaBauhinia tomentosanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Purple Orchid TreeBauhinia variegata (purpurea)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
ToogBischofia javanicanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Magic FlowerCantua buxifolianot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
White SapoteCasimiroa edulisnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Hawaiian TiCordyline fruticosa (Cordyline terminalis)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
FilbertCorylus maximanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Spotted GumCorymbia maculata (Eucalyptus maculata)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Dove TreeDavidia involucratanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Royal PoincianaDelonix regianot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Triangle PalmDypsis decaryinot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingTurn this into minutes on your water days
Every city page has a calculator that takes clustered fishtail palm, your sprinkler type and the month, and gives the minutes per water day for that supplier's schedule. Or put it in a zone of the personal watering plan and get all twelve months printed.
Questions people ask
How much water does clustered fishtail palm need per day?
In July on the south coast, established clustered fishtail palm needs about 8.0 gallons a day under a 10 foot canopy and about 32 gallons a day under a 20 foot canopy. Give it in deep waterings spread days apart rather than a little every day, so the whole root zone gets wet.
Does watering for clustered fishtail palm change across California?
Yes. WUCOLS rates clustered fishtail palm separately for each of the six California climate zones: not suited to this region in the North-Central Coastal zone, not suited to this region in the Central Valley zone, high water in the South Coastal zone, not suited to this region in the South Inland zone, not suited to this region in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, not suited to this region in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.
Why is one stem of my fishtail palm dying?
Each stem flowers once, fruits and then dies. Cut it out at the base for a neat clump. New stems from the base take its place.
Can clustered fishtail palm grow indoors?
Yes, it is common in bright interiors. Water when the top inch or two of mix is dry, and check often for spider mites and scale, which are serious indoor pests.
How big does clustered fishtail palm get?
It grows about 15 to 25 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide as a clump. Its leaves can be 8 feet long. Plan water for the whole width of the clump.
Can clustered fishtail palm grow near the beach?
It has low tolerance for salt spray. Plant it well back from the ocean or behind a windbreak.
Can you overwater clustered fishtail palm?
Yes. It needs well-drained soil, and roots kept soggy can decline. Keep the soil moist, not waterlogged.
More plant watering guides
Sources
- WUCOLS IV plant water use classification for Caryota mitis, the University of California survey California agencies use for landscape plan reviewRead August 23, 2026 on wucols.ucdavis.edu
- Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance, adopted text and appendices, effective 2025-01-02 · monthly reference evapotranspiration per city, Appendix CRead August 23, 2026 on water.ca.gov/-/media/DWR-Website/Web-Pages/Programs/Water-Use-And-Efficiency/MWELO-Rulemaking/Final-MWELO-Text-and-Appendices_20250103.pdf
- UC Statewide IPM Program, irrigation scheduling using evapotranspirationRead September 30, 2026 on ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/ENVIRON/evap.html
- Shaw and Pittenger, Landscape Irrigation System Evaluation and Management, UC Cooperative Extension, 2009Read September 30, 2026 on ucanr.edu/sites/default/files/2013-02/160836.pdf
- Pittenger, Water Management in Gardens and Landscapes, UC Riverside, 2017Read September 30, 2026 on ucanr.edu/sites/default/files/2017-03/258022.pdf