PlantFiles: Areca Palm, Butterfly Palm, Golden Cane Palm, Madagascar Palm
Dypsis lutescens

Some "areca" palms are escaping from cultivation and invading natural areas where they can be expected to continue increasing and displacing native plants. One of the more popular "areca" palms, the golden butterfly palm or yellow areca palm (Dypsis lutescens) is a common weed in the parks and preserves of Broward and Palm Beach Counties in southeast Florida.

At first I assumed the seeds were probably dispersed by native mammals such as raccoons and opossums, or perhaps by native gopher tortoises. However, I usually find the palms sprouting as single specimens, rather than in the clusters that would result from being consumed and passed in droppings of these species. So, I have revised my list of suspects; I am now watching the palms I see in fruit for feeding activity by mockingbirds and red-bellied woodpeckers.

Florida has eleven native palms, species of many different forms, sizes, and growth rates. Anyone who wants to do nature a favor should have no trouble finding a native species that fits their yard, and their taste:

Acoelorraphe wrightii - PAUROTIS PALM
Coccothrinax argentata - SILVER PALM
Hemithrinax morrisii - SILVER THATCH PALM
Pseudophoenix sargentii - SARGENT’S CHERRY PALM, BUCCANEER PALM
Rhapidophyllum hystrix - NEEDLE PALM
Roystonea regia var. elata - FLORIDA ROYAL PALM
Sabal palmetto - CABBAGE PALM, SABAL PALM
Sabal etonia - SCRUB PALM
Sabal minor - DWARF CABBAGE PALM
Serenoa repens - SAW PALMETTO
Thrinax radiata - GREEN THATCH PALM

This is one of the most colorful palms that grows well with little care...Very under rated for such a colorful and hearty palm...a great color contrast from other green palms...The colors range from silver-yellow-green-lime-orange-red…the banded leaf scars add a nice tropical feel too…A must have IMO-

One of the best palms I have, is great for screening and Mine are relatively quick growing. Deffo worth investing in, and are very cheap.

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.

Native of Madagascar.

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: It's died from the great freeze of 07.

Edit: February 24, 2009: Another planted last spring has done great in almost full sun up against a front porch. The location of this lutescens appears to agree with it much more then my first attempt. It even has slowly opened fronds over the winter of 08/09.
The only other bay area Dypsis lutescens I know of is also planted against a wall with much sun.
These are such great looking palms and if it continues to thrive I couldn't recommend a better small palm for those microclimate warm spots in the bay area. And it faced a 33.8 degree low with very little singing of some fronds. Not even noticeable if you weren't looking for it.
EDIT: April 09,It did it! -went through a wet winter, fine. My recommendation is the usual-start with a large plant for a marginal climate.Makes all the difference in the world.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.