Areca palm is a tropical perennial native to Madagascar in the palm family (Arecaceae). It is a multi-stemmed (clustering or clumping) palm that can grow to 30 feet tall and 15 feet wide in its native habitat. The genus name spotlights the fruits (- carpus ), which are ellipsoidal and resemble a chrysalis. Specific epithet is Latin for “turning yellow” in reference to the yellow flowers, stems and leaflet midribs. This tropical plant is grown as a houseplant in temperate climates. In the home, they prefer a bright location in a warm to average room and high humidity. Grow in well-drained potting soil and keep moist but not soggy during the growing season. Increase humidity with a humidifier, if needed, and provide bright indirect light. Repot every 2 or 3 years. Outdoors in zones 10-11, the plant tolerates full sun but prefers partial shade and moist but well-drained soils. They have multiple stems that arise from one base and large, arching, pinnately compound green leaves. The stems can grow up to 4 inches in diameter and have prominent nodes, like bamboo. Panicles of yellow flowers appear in the summer and are followed by yellow-orange fruits. They will rarely bloom or produce fruit as a houseplant. It has been shown to reduce indoor air pollution and is one of the most popular indoor palms. The terminal bud (heart-of-palm) is toxic and contains cyanide compounds; do not eat it. Dwarf and fastigiate cultivars have been developed in Thailand, but these are very rarely available in the US. Quick ID Hints : Clustering palms with thick, bamboo-like stems. Pinnate leaves, with semi-erect pinnae forming a V-shape along the rachis Yellow-green petioles and leaf rachis Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: It is susceptible to scale, whiteflies and spider mites.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
12-24 feet
Mature size
Height: 10 ft. 0 in. - 30 ft. 0 in. | Width: 8 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Arching; Erect
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Gold/Yellow; Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Linear
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Smooth; Waxy
Leaf value
Long-lasting; Showy
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, > 6 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
3-6 feet long pinnately compound yellow-green to dark green upward curving leaves with yellow midribs. There are 40-60 pairs of leaflets that are 2 feet long, lance-shaped, and create a distinct "V" as they grow in opposite directions from one another along the gold to light green rachis.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow
Flower form
Panicle
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
2 feet long panicles of small yellow flowers in summer hang below the leaves are not particularly showy.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit color
Gold/Yellow; Orange
Fruit type
Drupe
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Each fruit is approximately 0.5-1 inch long and egg-shaped. The fruit turns dark golden yellow-orange at maturity.
Stem color
Gold/Yellow
Stem detail
Bamboo-like stems, erect, clustered, smooth and ringed. 2-3 inches in diameter if grown outdoors. Smaller as a house plant.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Madagascar
Distribution
Cultivate worldwide.
Wildlife value
In its native habitat, some birds will eat the fruits
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Drupe
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Houseplants
Design feature
Accent; Specimen
Garden tags
#houseplant #interiorscape #bright light #palm #fan shaped #tropical palm #fantz #non-toxic for cats #non-toxic for dogs #non-toxic for horses #tropical feel #showy leaves #large leaves #accent #screen
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Whiteflies Found on Flowers and Foliage; Soft Scale Identification and Management on Ornamental Plants; Fern Scale Insect; Banded Greenhouse Thrips; Greenhouse Thrips; Root Mealybugs
Resistant to
Heat; Humidity
Propagation
Division; Seed
Poison severity
Low
Poison parts
Leaves; Stems
Poison symptoms
The heart-of-palm (the meristem and young leaf buds) are cyanogenic and should not be consumed. Symptoms include nausea and vomiting.