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Dypsis Lutescens “Areca Palm”

Latin name

Dypsis lutescens “Areca”

Pronounciation

(“DIP-siss loo-TESS-ens”)

Common name

Butterfly Palm

Origin

Eastern Madagascar

How easy am I to care for?

Buy one of my cousins from the nursery:

The Areca Palm, also known as Dypsis lutescens or Butterfly Palm, is an elegant palm with a dense cluster of pale green fronds, which have a characteristic golden colour to the stems (petioles) – the intensity of the colour depends on light levels. The Areca Palm fronds grow at a sharp angle (approx. 40 degrees) from the base of the plant, and its trunk when that forms, resembling butterfly wings.

This palm is a clustering type, with multiple stems that will eventually form proper trunks, although as indoor plants they tend to keep to their juvenile form. All our potted plants come in compostable coir pots.

Caring for your plant

Light

High to very high light.

Watering

Dypsis lutescens is quite a heavy water user. The soil should be kept moist, but not wet and the foliage should be regularly misted with tepid water.

Pruning

Palms should never be pruned. Dead or dying fronds should be removed by cutting them off at the base with a sharp knife or secateurs.

Feeding

As a relatively fast growing house plant, this species benefits from regular feeding. Add some dilute fertilizer to the water every time you water the plant.

Pest & Diseases

Two-spotted spider mites can be troublesome, so keep the foliage clean and regularly misted (mites do not thrive in humid conditions). Mealybugs and scale insects may also be found and these should be removed by cleaning the foliage with a damp cloth or paper towel. Look on the undersides of the foliage and also the centre of the plant. Dypsis lutescens is also susceptible to a disease called pink rot of palms (Gliocladium blight), which starts as pinkish-orange pustules that then release masses of pink powdery spores. This is an uncommon disease, but if you spot it, you should dispose of the plant.

Mill Pond Nurseries,
Mill Road,
Henham,
CM22 6AA

T: 0345 505 3333
E: enquiries@planteriagroup.com

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