Areca Palm Plant

Description

The Areca palm, or Dypsis lutescens, as it is botanically called, is an feathery leaf palm widely used as a house plant that is known for its high graceful fronds arching out of the clustered cane-like stems of the plant. The name Butterfly palm comes from its slim, yellow stem and the frond-like display, just as the Butterfly Palm is another popular name used for this palm because of the golden stem and frond array. The plant’s leaves are of very light appearance consisting of narrow, soft leaflets along each frond.

Because this palm grows fairly tall and is able to take up vertical space without spreading out over too much floor space, the Areca Palm is a frequent choice for use in entryways, office spaces, and living room corners. Since this plant is a clumper, a pot of just one plant can house many stems and the whole shape of the plant fills out over time. Areca Palm can stand on its own in the floor next to a window, or as a taller plant mixed in with a collection of others.

For many Indian houses Areca Palms will manage in bright rooms with diffused light, even near to a balcony door or a window with thin curtains. Unlike many other tropical indoor plants, Areca Palm doesn't require repositioning after it has settled in one place, nor it's fussy about its needs. The fronds are also kept green and thick by standard watering.

Key features

• Arching, feathery fronds that create an open feel. 
• Plants will clump to fill in pots over time. 
• The ideal plant for adding verticality and height to a room. 
• The plant loves moderate watering once established. 
• A great floor plant option for offices and living rooms. 
• Clumps of steady, slow growth and needs very little pruning. 
• Tropical, natural feel can complement home and office decor.

Care at a glance

Product specifications

What's in the box

• 1 × Live Areca Palm plant
• 1 × Nursery pot (Bare-rooted / Pot: Optional)
• Potting mix
• Basic care guide

Important notes

• Each plant may be of slightly different size, fullness and number of stems, as is to be expected with a natural living product. 
• As the fronds may show some tip browning due to transit, this is to be expected. 
• Give your plant some time to recover from travel and then move out of the way of direct and intense afternoon sunlight.
• Expect reduced growth during the winter, this is common for this type of plant. 
• The tips of the leaves turn brown in dry weather due to low humidity or irregular watering; mist the plant in hot or dry weather to counteract this. 
• Keep away from pets and children like any other houseplant.

Frequently asked questions

Q: Why are my Areca Palm leaf tips turning brown?

A: In most cases the tips of Areca Palm turn brown from insufficient humidity, improper watering, or excess minerals in your tap water. If this problem persists, water on schedule and be sure to mist periodically or use filtered water, rested water in place of tap water.

Q: How much do I water my plant?

 A: Check your soil once every 5 to 7 days and water when the top 1- inch of soil is dry to touch. Soil should be moist at all times, but not boggy

Q: Can the areca palm grow indoors the entire year?

A: Yes, the plant tolerates indoor conditions so long as it receives adequate indirect light. Don’t put it in dark locations where it receives no natural light as over the years the foliage would become scattered and flimsy.

Q: Does the plant get a sufficient dose of the sunlight?

A: No, afternoon or directly exposed sunlight can easily scorch the fronds of the areca palm. It receives adequate light when kept close to the window or balcony, through diffused or filtered rays of light.

Q: How fast does the Areca Palm grow? 

A: The Areca Palm grows at a moderate pace with increased growth in warm, humid weather. Winter temperatures will see growth slow down and almost halt as is typical with this plant.

Q: When should they be repotted, and is fertilizer needed?

A: Repot once you see the roots emerge from the drainage holes or coil around the edge of the pot – usually every two to three years. During spring and summer months you can add a diluted liquid houseplant food every month. It’s not necessary if using fresh potting mix, however.