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Dypsis lutescens

 
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Family: Arecaceae (ar-ek-AY-see-ay) (Info)
Genus: Dypsis (DIP-sis) (Info)
Species: lutescens (loo-TESS-enz) (Info)

Synonym:Areca lutescens
Synonym:Chrysalidocarpus lutescens

2 vendors have this plant for sale.

5 members have or want this plant for trade.

Category:
Tropicals and Tender Perennials

Height:
12-15 ft. (3.6-4.7 m)
15-20 ft. (4.7-6 m)
20-30 ft. (6-9 m)

Spacing:
4-6 ft. (1.2-1.8 m)

Hardiness:
USDA Zone 9a: to -6.6 °C (20 °F)
USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8 °C (25 °F)
USDA Zone 10a: to -1.1 °C (30 °F)
USDA Zone 10b: to 1.7 °C (35 °F)
USDA Zone 11: above 4.5 °C (40 °F)

Sun Exposure:
Sun to Partial Shade

Danger:
Unknown - Tell us

Bloom Color:
Gold (Yellow-Orange)
Bright Yellow

Bloom Time:
Late Spring/Early Summer

Foliage:
Grown for foliage
Bronze-Green
Shiny/Glossy-Textured

Other details:
This plant is suitable for growing indoors
Drought-tolerant; suitable for xeriscaping

Soil pH requirements:
6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic)

Propagation Methods:
By dividing rhizomes, tubers, corms or bulbs (including offsets)

Seed Collecting:
Unblemished fruit must be significantly overripe before harvesting seed; clean and dry seeds
Seed does not store well; sow as soon as possible

By Hunter_X
Thumbnail #1 of Dypsis lutescens by Hunter_X

By palmbob
Thumbnail #2 of Dypsis lutescens by palmbob

By palmbob
Thumbnail #3 of Dypsis lutescens by palmbob

By palmbob
Thumbnail #4 of Dypsis lutescens by palmbob

By palmbob
Thumbnail #5 of Dypsis lutescens by palmbob

By palmbob
Thumbnail #6 of Dypsis lutescens by palmbob

By palmbob
Thumbnail #7 of Dypsis lutescens by palmbob

There are a total of 43 photos.
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Profile:

7 positives
3 neutrals
1 negative

Gardeners' Notes:

RatingAuthorComment
Negative plantparent On Jul 13, 2008, plantparent from Sarasota, FL wrote:

I am in the interiorscape business. We use alot of arecas because clients here want the tropical look. We refer to them as throw away palms. They are inexpensive to replace in accounts (alot of which are low light). I have found the 14" and larger do last longer. The 10" ......not so good. Inside they are too high maitanence for me. Clipping tips, they are also prone to mites and mealey. Outside is different. They do get very large. I see alot of arecas that have not been maintained and to me look unsightly, but if kept up are very nice.

Neutral Gabrielle On Apr 6, 2007, Gabrielle from Washington, IL
(Zone 5a) wrote:

Native of Madagascar.

Neutral BayAreaTropics On Jan 18, 2007, BayAreaTropics from Hayward, CA wrote:

I planted a two gallon clump in June 2006. They have done great despite the coldest winter in nearly ten years in the bay area. They need to be placed where they are protected from frost such as under a tree or overhang and where it accumulates warm summer temps. Maybe the most beautiful small palm for the mild climate areas.

Edit April 07: Oh, i spoke waaaay to soon. They now look terrible,although all six stems have survived, only three have fronds-and it's one apiece. I've been around long enough to not be fooled that badly-but they did go from fine to horrid in weeks-and well after the freeze of 07 ended.

Positive eurokitty On Jun 19, 2006, eurokitty from Holmes Beach, FL
(Zone 9b) wrote:

I have an enormous version of this in the yard of my Florida home. They are very popular in Florida to use as hedges, and for landscaping because they grow so quickly and they look very tropical. We just planted two additional areca palms in our yard to add additional privacy.

The nursery suggested that smaller palms should not be planted in strong sunlight; it will burn the tender leaves and they will forever have a brown edge to them. Smaller plants should be shaded for some part of the day. Once they're fairly mature (about five feet or more) they can be planted in direct sun.

Also worth noting, especially if you live in a hot, tropical climate that these palms require maintenance. (This is nothing new to people who have palm trees - most palms require some maintenance.) Due to their dense nature, they drop a lot of fronds, and the culms look best when thinned out. But thinning a mature, wild looking areca isn't an easy or cheap proposition. When I had my palms professionally trimmed, I had quotes of $150 to $300 to trim just this one tree since it had not been trimmed for several years, maybe more than a decade. It's tricky and painstaking work to thin our and the culms, and usually requires someone experienced with these trees. The bamboo-like culms can grow very large in tropical climates and require a chainsaw to cut. Mine is about 30 feet high and it presently has more than two dozen culms.

Having said all that, I love these palms. They grow very dense, creating an excellent privacy hedge. They look very tropical and other than managing the fronds and getting them trimmed, they are not otherwise demanding in terms of water or soil.

Positive junglejude On Dec 22, 2005, junglejude from Niagara Falls
() wrote:

We have three 25' specimen plants in the conservatory. Once the stalks mature they will bloom and set fruit continually. The seeds are better sown fresh, if the fruit dries out, the seeds will not germinate. It takes 90 days to germinate.

Positive tjsangel003 On Oct 24, 2004, tjsangel003 from Warren, OH wrote:

I've kept my Madagascar palm indoors for 3 years now. It's right in front of my back door in the kitchen. It doesnt seem to mind the drafts from outside. It's grown twice as big, occassionally a bottom leaf will yellow but can be pulled right off. Keep fairly moist in a large container. I mist mine daily for humidity, this plant will put up with almost anything! I also have mine in low light and the bronze coloring still shows through.

Positive desertboot On Jul 24, 2004, desertboot from
(Zone 10a) wrote:

A pair of 25-footers flank our gates. Love the shadows of taller fronds over the lower ones. The fruit are particularly attractive to cuckoos. Easy to propagate from seed, and even the tiniest offsets.

Neutral bb96gb On Mar 8, 2004, bb96gb from Fort Lauderdale, FL wrote:

This palm is often used as a tall sreening hedge in South Florida. Creates lots of yard work because it constantly drops fronds.

Positive Monocromatico On Jul 25, 2003, Monocromatico from Rio de Janeiro
(Brazil)
(Zone 11) wrote:

If you have this palm in your yard, after sometime, when it reaches 2-3m tall it will start producing fruits. Typical palm fruits, but with an orange, flesh edible coat over the seed. It tastes good, a bit too sweet, though, but worth a try. I never heard of it, and never tried it, but these fruits might be good for jellies or something.

On another note, I´ve been finding some specimens with ramifications on the top. These individuals are shorter, and have a more "full" looking than the regular palms. I don´t know what causes it, but if someone finds it out, may be an option to have in your garden.

Positive palmbob On Jul 6, 2003, palmbob from Tarzana, CA
(Zone 9b) wrote:

The current name for this palm is Dypsis. Chrysalidocarpus is the old name. This is one of the more common palms you can buy at Home Depot and other outlet nurseries. It is not commonly grown outdoors in most areas of the US except perhaps Miami and parts of San Diego.. however it does well throughout most of Southern California. It is NOT an ideal indoor plant, though, as it really needs a lot of light. Here in So Cal, it does well as a specimen palm, suckering and arching nicely from a central point, with yellowish, ringed trunks and arching, ferny leaves.

Positive Hunter_X On Jun 29, 2002, Hunter_X from Orlando, FL
(Zone 9a) wrote:

Clustered non branching stems with fronds that are subdivided and arching. LIGHT:Medium to high. Does well near an east, west, or south window, filtered light, or location receiving 1000 footcandles or more. WATER: frequent. Water thoroughly, keep soil evenly moist to touch (not saturated). Don't let sit in water. TEMPERATURE:
Medium. 61 - 70 (degrees F) days, 56 - 65 nights. HUMIDITY:
Average FERTILIZER: Every 4 months SOIL MIX:1 part sterilized garden loam, 1 part clean coarse sand or Perlite, and 1/2 to 1 part sphagnum peat moss. PROPOGATION:
Division. SELECTION GUIDE: Select sturdy, shapely, healthy plant free from insect and disease damage. New leaf growth is desirable. Avoid those with yellow or brown leaf margins, wilted or water soaked leaves. CARE: Moderate. Lives well under average home conditions. Attractive with moderate maintenance. PROBLEMS:Root rot: Provide adequate drainage. Do not let plant sit in water.Spider mites: Wash with soapy water and apply miticide.

Regional...

This plant has been said to grow in the following regions:

Goodyear, Arizona
Beverly Hills, California
Clayton, California
Encino, California
Garberville, California
Garden Grove, California
Hayward, California
Lemon Grove, California
Los Angeles, California
Rancho Cucamonga, California
Reseda, California
Santa Barbara, California (2 reports)
Ventura, California
Boca Raton, Florida
Dover, Florida
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Pierce, Florida
Holmes Beach, Florida
Keystone Heights, Florida
Kissimmee, Florida
Largo, Florida
Okeechobee, Florida
Oldsmar, Florida
Oviedo, Florida
Pompano Beach, Florida
Port Saint Lucie, Florida (2 reports)
Saint Petersburg, Florida (2 reports)
Sarasota, Florida
Stuart, Florida
Tampa, Florida
West Palm Beach, Florida
Hana, Hawaii
Vieques, Puerto Rico



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