Butterfly Palm, Areca Palm, Golden Cane Palm


Scientific Name: Dypsis lutescens (H. Wendl.) Beentje & Dransf.
Synonyms: Areca lutescens, Chrysalidocarpus lutescens
Dypsis lutescens
Size: Up to 25 feet tall (7.5 m) Up to 12 feet in diameter (5 m), bigger if it is a large clump
Min. Temperature: 26°F (-3°C)
Water Requirements: Regular water with good drainage
Sun Requirements: Full sun to shade
Origin: Madagascar
Leaf: Pinnate, 6 to 8 pale green leaves per stem, 80 to 100 leaflets, to 8 feet long (2.4 m). Yellow if grown with enough light, 2 feet long (60 cm).
Trunk: Clustering Greenish gray crownshaft, Ringed, 3 to 5 inches in diameter (7 to 12 cm).
Flower: Yellow male and female flowers on the same inflorescence.. Flower stalk coming from below the leaves.
Fruit: Yellow to purple. 0.75 inches (2 cm). Oval.
Seed: Dark red. Oval.

The young Butterfly Palms are grown from seeds and can be bought very inexpensively as Areca Palms. They should be separated, so they don't overcrowd each others when they start growing.

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