The term ‘Areca Palm’ may be used to describe any number of plants within the genus Areca.
The term is also used specifically for the palm, Dypsis lutescens (also called Chrysalidocarpus lutescens) which goes by the common names of Butterfly Palm or Golden Cane Palm. This areca palm comes from Madagascar and is characterised by feather-like fronds radiating from several trunks. It grows slowly and a mature palm will become wider before becoming taller. It is now very rare in its natural habitat but is one of the most cultivated nursery palm trees, and commonly found in subtropical and tropical regions around the world as an ornamental plant.
If grown indoors, it will bring a touch of the tropics to your home. It requires heavy watering and will wilt badly if allowed to become dry. Luckily, with a good drink, it will resume its upright stance. It should not be allowed to sit in water as the root system will start to rot. Water straight from an unfiltered supply so it receives natural minerals and salts. They do much better if kept in as humid an atmosphere as possible. Most indoor specimens rarely receive the required humidity. An occasional misting will help. A bright but indirect light is best as direct light through a window can burn the fronds. Place the place a metre or more back from a sunny window.
The tips may become brown after a while but do not cut off the brown bits as this will stop the growth of that frond. Only take off yellowing or dead fronds. Remove these fronds immediately to prevent any diseases infecting neighbouring stems.
Infestations of spider mite are relatively common with this palm. If yours gets attacked, mist twice a day with soapy water or buy a commercial preparation from your garden centre. Over the growing season, a monthly feeding with palm food will keep it looking good. It is regarded as one of the best plants to have indoors as an air purifier but does take a bit more maintenance than some other indoor palms.
The Areca palm is fast-growing and tends to grow in clumps making it look more like a shrub than a tree. The smooth trunks lean away from each other with long, feathery fronds arching gracefully towards the ground. Small, yellow-white flowers give way to orange-yellow fruits.
As a mature outdoor plant it reaches 6 metres or so with a spread of 2 to 3 metres. It is a ‘tree’ despite its popularity as an indoor specimen so it needs distance from other plants if planted in the open. If destined for a life outdoors, it needs tropical type conditions or it will become a stunted version of a beautiful palm.
