Family: Arecaceae
Common name: Butterfly palm, Areca palm, Yellow palm, Golden cane palm
Another palm that will happily grow inside your house, provided there is some indirect sunlight. Areca palm is characterized by its uniformly-arranged leaflets that grow on leaves that are outwardly bent. This makes the leaves look like butterfly-wings, and gives it the name ‘butterfly palm’. Areca palms have many stems growing from the base and cover the entire area of the pot with fronds gently swaying in the wind.
These plants are relatively low-maintenance and thrive well in all growing conditions. Over-watering is the one thing it cannot stand, leading to yellowing and withering of leaves. It is also called called ‘golden cane palm’ since the lower end of the stem has a golden yellow color. The stems resemble canes that are used for making furniture.
Areca palms can grow 6-12 meters in height. Since palm plants are supposed to purify toxins from indoor air, according to a study by NASA, Areca palms are now in huge demand for homes and offices. These plants bear yellow flowers in summer, but it’s quite rare. If you need to fill your balcony with greenery without too much effort, 5-10 pots of Areca palms can do that magic, bringing instant greenery, beauty and a drop in temperature.
Propagation is from seeds or by replanting offset shoots that grow from the main plant.
