Areca Palm (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens)

Areca Palm (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens) is a very popular small to medium-sized multi-stemmed palm, growing to a height of 6 to 12 meters. It has multiple clustered non-branching stems emerging from the base. They are bamboo-like, smooth and ringed with bases of old leaves, slightly above the ground, green color in the newer growth areas and yellowish in the older areas, individual trunks less than 6-inch in diameter. It produces 6 to 8 leaves on long yellow petioles. Leaves are spineless and pinnate, arched outward and downward, 2-3 m long, with 40-120 pairs of leaflets arranged in opposite pairs on the leaf stem. During late spring or early summer, the Areca Palm produces small bright yellow flowers that grow from below the leaves. It has male and female blossoms on the same inflorescence. After few months of blossoming, blooms are followed by light green to yellow fruits that turn yellow-orange when ripe. Fruits have an oval shape and are around 1 inch in diameter. Although they look pretty, they are not eatable. As per the NASA Clean Air Study, the areca palm filters xylene and toluene from the air. This plant is non-toxic to cats and dogs if ingested.

Scientific Name: Chrysalidocarpus lutescens
Synonyms: Dypsis lutescens
Common Name: Areca Palm, Golden cane palm, Yellow palm or Butterfly palm.

How to grow and maintain Chrysalidocarpus lutescens (Areca Palm):

Light:
A key factor in successfully growing areca palm trees indoors is providing just the right amount of light. They require bright, indirect light from a south or west facing the window. The leaves turn yellowish-green in direct sunlight.

Temperature:
It prefers average room temperatures of 65°F (16°C) – 75°F (24°C) are suitable and no lower than 55°F (12.7°C). Sudden cold temperature drops and cold drafts can cause the leaves to display brown spots.

Soil:
To prevent roots from getting to be waterlogged use a well draining aerated potting soil mix. A mixture of 1 part peat, 1 part pine bark and 1 part coarse sand is one possible good mix.

Water:
Areca palm requires heavy watering, however, don’t allow the plant to sit in water because this could lead them to root rot. Water the plant about once every ten to fifteen days. If the soil feels dry and granular on the top layer it is time to water your plant.

Fertilizer:
Feed every 3 – 4 weeks from spring until fall with a diluted balanced fertilizer. If your palm is newly potted wait until the following spring to begin feeding as the soil will have enough nutrients to get through the first year.

Pruning:
Prune away lower leaves to reveal the yellow, jointed-looking trunks of a specimen plant. You can remove a branch and root it. You may wish to prune branch away to open up the center of landscaping plants and to keep container plants from getting too large. When pruning, use shears that have been wiped with a cloth soaked in rubbing alcohol. This helps prevent the spread of disease.

Propagation:
It is easily propagated by seed. Fresh seeds germinate within 2 to 6 months of being planted and seed sown at a temperature of at least 18°C in late spring. These plants can be increased much more simply by means of the basal suckers, which should be removed for propagation in spring. The ideal sucker is about 12-inch height and has some root growth. Plant each sucker in a 4 – 5-inch pot filled with a moistened blend of the two-thirds soil-based potting mixture and one-third coarse sand or a substance such as a perlite. Enclose the entire plant in a plastic bag and keep it in a warm room in medium light for four to six weeks. Thereafter, remove the plastic bag and water the potted sucker sparingly, allowing the top 1 cm of the blend to dry out between waterings until growth indicates that roots are well established. Then treat the plant virtually as a mature specimen, but do not feed it for the first three or four months.

Pests and diseases:
Indoor areca palm plants suffer from few pest or diseases. Sap-sucking pests are more likely to occur on indoor plants and include whiteflies, spider mites, and scale insects. Be watchful for them and wash them off with a strong spray of water when you initially observe them.