Houseplant
Cultural
information: The "Butterfly Palm" or
"Areca Palm" is a
favorite of the beginning plant enthusiast. They are attractive, inexpensive
and readily available. When selecting an Areca palm look for
plants with larger caliber trunks at the base of the plant. Plants that have pencil thin
stems tend to topple over and are quite difficult to
maintain.
Keep your Areca Palm in very bright, but indirect light. In our dry climate
Areca Palms can't tolerate direct sun. Direct sun will curl the
fronds and burn the leaves.
Areca Palms need to have their soil kept moist but not soggy.
This is a difficult balance to achieve, but once you've lived with
your Areca Palm you'll soon get the hang of it. Water when
the soils surface has dried to the touch making sure to water all
the way around the plant. Watering only one side of a plant
creates dry spots in the soil and causes sections of the plant to
die back. Do
not allow Areca Palms to sit in a saucer of water as root rot will
quickly develop. Remove excess water within 24 hours.
In dry climates Areca Palms are know to develop brown tips.
Frequent misting helps to avoid brown tips. Pebble trays also help
prevent brown tips.
Propagation is not recommended. Areca Palms are grown from
seed. The only way to propagate an Areca Palm is by dividing the
plant. In our dry climate dividing an Areca Palm would turn into a
nightmare.
Feed monthly with a light solution of Peter's Houseplant food
if your Areca Palm is actively growing. Feed bi-monthly if
inactive.
You can
find Areca palms in nearly any size container and height range.
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