SCIENTIFIC NAME: Cyrtostachys renda

COMMON NAME(S): Red sealing wax palm
SUB FAMILY: Arecoideae
TRIBE: Areceae
ORIGIN: Malay Peninsula and Borneo
HARDINESS ZONES: 11
TYPICAL MAXIMUM HEIGHT: 15'
GROWTH RATE: Slow
HABIT: Clustering; each stem with 10 or fewer leaves
SALT TOLERANCE: Low
DROUGHT TOLERANCE: Moderate
SOIL REQUIREMENTS: Widely adaptable
LIGHT REQUIREMENTS: Moderate; high
NUTRITION REQUIREMENTS: Moderate
POPULAR USES: Specimen plant, foliage plant
HUMAN HAZARDS: None
POPULAR OR RECOMMENDED CULTIVARS: None

COMMENTS: Though few locations in the United States can provide a safe outdoor haven for the red sealing wax palm, its deserved reputation as one of the world's most beautiful palms justifies its treatment here. A denizen of moist, even swampy, rain forests, C. renda will not tolerate drought or drying winds, and pales at the slightest touch of winter chill. Nonetheless, the abiding beauty of its red crownshafts and leaf stems render it an item that few palm enthusiasts can resist. Except in the warm tropics, red sealing wax palm is best maintained as a container plant that can be easily protected when temperatures drop below 40 degrees F. Seedlings generally take a long time to express the characteristic red coloration and are also variable in crownshaft color; faster results and guaranteed color can be obtained by carefully dividing established clumps.