Bac Son Fishtail Palm

The Bac Son fishtail palm, *Caryota bacsonensis*, is a large, solitary palm described from northeastern Vietnam. Plants of the World Online treats this name as a synonym of *Caryota urens* in its current taxonomy, while earlier palm checklists and regional floras have accepted it as a separate name. ## Form and habitat The Vietnam Plant Data Center describes a smooth, ringed trunk 15–20 m tall, leaves 3–4 m long, and hanging flower clusters 2–3 m long. It records the palm on limestone slopes and mountain summits in northeastern Vietnam, and notes it can be grown as an ornamental. These dimensions call for an open, warm site with ample overhead clearance. ## Maintenance Keep large leaves and flower clusters clear of paths, roofs, and overhead lines. The [Vietnam species profile](https://www.botanyvn.com/cnt.asp?list=species¶m=edir&v=Caryota+bacsonensis) records flowering in April and May and fruiting in November and December in its native region; local timing will vary. [Kew's Plants of the World Online entry](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:665599-1) documents both its current synonym treatment and earlier taxonomies that accepted this name.