Areca Palm
Dypsis lutescens
Butterfly Palms
The Areca palm, native to Madagascar, is one of the most popular indoor houseplants sold today. Indoors an Areca palm is a medium sized exotic looking plant that can reach a height of 6-8 feet; outdoors it may be as tall as 25 feet. The Areca palm gets its nickname, the Butterfly palm, because its long feathery fronds (leaves) arch upwards off multiple reed- like stems, resembling butterfly wings. Each frond has between 40-60 leaflets on it. When first bought, Areca palms are a delight, inexpensive good-sized plants with beautiful green upright fronds. However, over time, the overall appearance of an Areca palm may diminish; the older bottom fronds turn yellow and the larger fronds droop and bend.
Areca Palm
Light
Areca palms require bright indirect lightVery few houseplants should be placed in direct sun. High light refers only to bright indirect light since direct sun often burns the leaves of indoor houseplants. An area that is too hot and dry encourages Spider Mites and causes blooms to quickly fade. A northern exposure really doesn't provide enough light for high light plants. These plants need to be placed directly in front of an east-facing window, within 1-3 feet of a west-facing window, and within 5 ft. of a south facing window. A high light area has over 300 ft. candles of light.. Too much light or direct sun burns the fronds and causes them to yellow.
Water
Keep the soil of an Areca palm moist but never soggy. Allow the top couple of inches to dry out before watering. Remember, the soil at the bottom of the container is much wetter than the soil at the top. Never allow an Areca palm to sit in water. If your household water has a lot of chemicals in it or passes through a water softener, allow it to sit out over- night before using it or use distilled water. Water containing a great deal of chemicals or salt can spot the leaves.
Fertilizer
Feed an Areca palm monthly when it is actively growing with a balanced liquid fertilizerPlants need fertilizer only when they are actively growing. Slow growing plants in low light require very little plant food. Too much fertilizer is worse than not enough. Most plants prefer a water soluble plant food at 1/2 the recommended strength. Plants that are in bloom or dormant should not be fertilized. Houseplant food contains nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). A fertilizer containing these elements in equal proportion is considered a balanced plant food. Nitrogen helps in photosynthesis and encourages the growth of leaves and stems. Potassium and phosphorus also help in photosynthesis and aid in root and flower development. Most fertilizers have trace elements of other minerals that are lacking in the soil but are necessary for good plant growth. Fertilizers have a high salt content. If a plant is not producing new leaves and doesn’t absorb the fertilizer, salts build up in the soil. These salts can burn the roots, discolor the leaves, and cause new growth to be small.
at 1/2 the recommended strength. Too much salty fertilizerPlants need fertilizer only when they are actively growing. Slow growing plants in low light require very little plant food. Too much fertilizer is worse than not enough. Most plants prefer a water soluble plant food at 1/2 the recommended strength. Plants that are in bloom or dormant should not be fertilized. Houseplant food contains nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). A fertilizer containing these elements in equal proportion is considered a balanced plant food. Nitrogen helps in photosynthesis and encourages the growth of leaves and stems. Potassium and phosphorus also help in photosynthesis and aid in root and flower development. Most fertilizers have trace elements of other minerals that are lacking in the soil but are necessary for good plant growth. Fertilizers have a high salt content. If a plant is not producing new leaves and doesn’t absorb the fertilizer, salts build up in the soil. These salts can burn the roots, discolor the leaves, and cause new growth to be small.
spots the leaves.
Temperature
Areca Palms prefer temperatures between 65°-75° during the day and around 55° at night. This plant is very sensitive to low temperatures; if you place it outside during the summer be sure to bring it in before temperatures dip below 50°.
Humidity
High humidity is essential for the fronds of an Areca palm to keep looking good.
Flowering
An Areca palm rarely blooms indoor; if it does, the flowers are very small and inconspicuous.
Pests
spider mitesLearn how to identify and treat Spider Mites on plants. This sucking plant pest causes yellow blotchy leaves with a red haze and a gritty feel to them. and Mealy BugsLearn how to identify and treat Mealy Bugs, a houseplant pest that leaves sticky, white, cottony residue on houseplants. can be a problem. Check frequently for pests by examining the backs of the fronds and new growth. If an Areca palm becomes infected, spray with warm soapy water or an insecticidal soapInsecticidal Soap is defined as any of the potassium fatty acid soaps used to control many plant pests and diseases. This product is typically sprayed on plants in the same manner as other insecticides. It works only on direct contact with the pests. The fatty acids disrupt the structure and permeability of the insect cell membranes and the insect quickly dies. Soaps of this kind also work well on fungus infections such as botritis and leaf spot as well as on common houseplant pests such as spider mite and mealy bug. at 1/2 the recommended strength. Spraying with a product containing alcohol can damage the fronds.
Diseases
Because Areca palms require high humidity, they are susceptible to the fungus Pink Rot and Ganoderma. Pink rot develops in moist soil and causes the fronds in the crown (top) of the palm to turn brown and droop. Ganoderma, which is spread through the soil and on pruning tools, causes the lower fronds to droop and turn yellow, then gradually works its way up the plant. Neither of these diseases is treatable but both are preventable by keeping the soil drier and providing good air circulation around the plant.
Soil
Use a rich acidic soil that drains well. Add builder's sand if the soil is too heavy and clay like.
Pot Size
Plant an Areca palm in a container twice the size of the root ball. Palms like being a little root -bound, so don't rush to repot.
Pruning
Prune any brown or yellow fronds that appear. Use a wet scissors to prune brown tips on the fronds. Areca palms have only ne growing tip at the very top of the plant; if that tip is damaged or cut off, the plant stops growing.
Propagation
Areca palms are propagated by seeds, by separating the offsetsHouseplant offsets, or pups as they are sometimes called, are the baby plants that form at the base of certain houseplants.Plant offsets can be used to easily propagate new plants. Wait until the plant offsets have grown at least several inches, then gently detach them from the "mother"plant. Hopefully the plant offsets will have a few roots of their own at this point. Plant the offsets in a small container and keep the plant barely moist but never soggy at all times. or suckers at the base of a mature plant, or by plant divisionLearn how to propagate plants by plant division at https://www.houseplant411.com/glossary.
Clean Air Plant
A study by Wolverton has shown that an Areca palm is effective in removing benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene from the air
Poisonous Plant Info
I went on vacation and when I got back some of the fronds on my Areca had turned orange with yellow streaks. What should I do?
Your Areca must have gotten very dry while you were gone. Cut off the discolored fronds and water well. Add a few drops of superthriveSuperthrive combines vitamins and hormones to encourage plant growth both above and below the soil line. It's not a plant food so it needs to be used in addition to your regular plant food; the two can be used at the same time. Just put a few drops into your watering can & that's all that's needed to improve the health & appearance of your plants. If your plants are in real trouble, add about 10 drops per 2 gallons of water. SuperThrive works best when the soil is dry.
to the water for an extra little boost.
The tips of the leaves on my Areca are turning brown. Too much sun? water? bugs/ Help!
The tips of the fronds turn brown when the plant is over watered, when it is over fertilized, or if there is salt, chlorine, or fluoride in the water. Allow the top 1-2" of soil to dry out before watering and use distilled water if your water passes through a softener or has any chemicals in it.
There is a fine reddish webbing on my Palm leaves. My friend said its from a spider and I should leave it alone because spiders eat the other bugs. Yes or no??
The webbing is from the spider mitesLearn how to identify and treat Spider Mites on plants. This sucking plant pest causes yellow blotchy leaves with a red haze and a gritty feel to them. attacking your palm. If you don't get rid of them, they will suck the color out of your plant leaving unsightly yellow blotches. Spray your plant with a good insecticidal soapInsecticidal Soap is defined as any of the potassium fatty acid soaps used to control many plant pests and diseases. This product is typically sprayed on plants in the same manner as other insecticides. It works only on direct contact with the pests. The fatty acids disrupt the structure and permeability of the insect cell membranes and the insect quickly dies. Soaps of this kind also work well on fungus infections such as botritis and leaf spot as well as on common houseplant pests such as spider mite and mealy bug. at 1/2 the recommended strength. Be sure to treat both sides of the fronds and all of the stems.
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