Toddy Palm Collection

Solitary fishtail palm, toddy palm, wine palm, jaggery palm (Caryota urens)
Illustration of a solitary fishtail palm, toddy palm, wine palm, jaggery palm (Caryota urens)

Toddy palms 100 ft. tall, Pagan, Burma, 1907. Artists: Elmer Underwood, Bert Elias Underwood
Toddy palms 100 ft. tall, Pagan, Burma, 1907. From The Underwood Travel Library, [Underwood & Underwood, London, New York, 1907]

A scene in a toddy palm plantation
A drawing by Paul Hermann from the collection of five volumes of specimens and drawings from Sri Lanka (Ceylon) 1672-1677. (Vol. 5 Page 307)

Fishtail palms (Caryota propinqua)
Illustration of a Fishtail palms (Caryota propinqua)

doub palm, palmyra palm, tala palm, toddy palm or wine palm (Borassus flabellifer)
illustration of a doub palm, palmyra palm, tala palm, toddy palm or wine palm (Borassus flabellifer)

Solitary Fishtail Palm (Caryota urens) close-up of leaves, Grenada, Grenadines, Windward Islands, Lesser Antilles, August

Caryota urens, fishtail palm
Plate 10 from the Roxburgh Collection, c. 1791-1794 depicting fishtail palm leaves. Held in the Botany Library at the Natural History Museum, London

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Discover the enchanting world of toddy palms, also known as wine palms or solitary fishtail palms (Caryota urens). These majestic trees, reaching up to 100 feet tall, have graced tropical landscapes from Burma to the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles. In the past, they were a vital resource for seafarers, providing sustenance and shelter. As depicted in an engraving from the "Round the World Yachting in the 'Ceylon'" (1897), toddy palms were a common sight along Calcutta's coastline. Their sweet sap was tapped to produce toddy, a traditional palm wine, while their fibers were used to create jaggery, a type of unrefined sugar. Surrounded by other palm species like the doub palm, palmyra palm, and tala palm, the solitary fishtail palm stands out with its distinctive fishtail-shaped leaves. Join us as we explore the rich history and beauty of these fascinating palms.