SCIENTIFIC NAME: Areca catechu

COMMON NAME(S): Betel nut palm
SUB FAMILY: Arecoideae
TRIBE: Areceae
ORIGIN: India through Southeast Asia, Malaysia and Pacific (origin uncertain)
HARDINESS ZONES: 11 (damage at 34 degrees F), (killed at 26 degrees F)
TYPICAL MAXIMUM HEIGHT: 30'
GROWTH RATE: Moderate
HABIT: Solitary; canopy of about a dozen leaves
SALT TOLERANCE: Low
DROUGHT TOLERANCE: Low
SOIL REQUIREMENTS: Acid
LIGHT REQUIREMENTS: Moderate, high
NUTRITION REQUIREMENTS: Moderate
POPULAR USES: Specimen tree; interiorscape
HUMAN HAZARDS: None
POPULAR OR RECOMMENDED CULTIVARS: Possibly regional cultivars in Asia.

COMMENTS: The betel nut palm, immortalized by Bloody Mary in the Rogers and Hammerstein musical 'South Pacific,' has been spread throughout tropical Asia and the Pacific where it is cultivated for the food storage tissue (endosperm) inside the seed. When chewed with leaves of a pepper vine (Piper sp.) and ground lime, a narcotic stimulant is released. Prolonged use stains the gums and teeth red. The palm itself makes a lovely specimen with its boldly ringed trunk and smooth green crownshaft, but is very cold sensitive. Young specimens are quite tolerant of shaded conditions. Other species: A. triandra (East and Southeast Asia) is a clustering species with thinner trunks but otherwise an appearance similar to the betel nut palm. It prefers a shaded location. A. vestiaria (eastern Indonesia) is a beautiful clustering species with slender brown trunks, stilt roots, and a stunning orange-red crownshaft.