SCIENTIFIC NAME: Dypsis lutescens

COMMON NAME(S): Areca palm; Butterfly palm
SUB FAMILY: Arecoideae
TRIBE: Areceae
ORIGIN: Madagascar
HARDINESS ZONES: 10B-11 (damaged but recovered at 24 degrees F)
TYPICAL MAXIMUM HEIGHT: 20'
GROWTH RATE: Moderate
HABIT: Clustering, new stems arising above the soil line, each with 6-8 leaves
SALT TOLERANCE: Moderate
DROUGHT TOLERANCE: High
SOIL REQUIREMENTS: Widely adaptable
LIGHT REQUIREMENTS: Moderate; high
NUTRITION REQUIREMENTS: High
POPULAR USES: Shrub, hedge, specimen plant
HUMAN HAZARDS: None
POPULAR OR RECOMMENDED CULTIVARS: None

COMMENTS: Formerly known as Chrysalidocarpus lutescens, the areca palm is so widely planted throughout subtropical and tropical climates, it is often treated with contempt by palm enthusiasts. Despite its ubiquity in cultivation, the species is extremely rare in its native Madagascar and is actually considered threatened with extinction in the wild. Though most often thickly planted as a screen or boundary hedge, areca palm can make an attractive specimen plant in time when a measure of clear trunk is achieved, and the cluster is opened up by judicious thinning out of some stems. Unfortunately, containerized specimens are usually produced by potting numerous seedlings together which, when planted in the landscape, form dense and frequently stunted clusters. On soils with low fertility, the foliage is usually marred with nutritional deficiencies, but, with regular fertilization, the leaflets will hold a medium-green coloration that contrasts nicely with the naturally yellow-tinged leafstems. Arecas are also widely produced for the foliage plant market, but suffer in dim light and low humidity.