PlantFiles: Fishtail Lawyer Cane, Wait-a-Bit Palm
Calamus caryotoides

I have good and bad feelings about this palm. This is by far the hardiest of the Calamus species, growing exceptionally well in zone 9b and having little cultivational needs other than water (and pruning if you want to keep it 'safe' and neat looking). It is a native of northeaster Australia where it is a climbing rattan in the tropical forests there. It is a clustering species with many spines all over it, as well as cirri and flagella that act as hooked whips to attach itself onto surrounding vegitation. If the flagella are not cut away, this can be an extremely hazardous palm to walk near. These modified leaf parts are very thin, hard to see but have a sharp hook at the end that will grab your skin or clothing as you brush against them. CAREFUL. Most palm enthusiasts growing this species keep it pruned to about 3-5' tall, and hack off all the cirri. If fertilized and kept out of the sun and wind, this can be a very attractive palm. This is one of the few species that makes a nice clump which can support its own weight if kept pruned low. Just so you know, each stem you prune will end up killing that stem, but as it clusters, other stems will continue to grow.