Apologies if the answer is obvious but please could someone tell me: a) what is the name of this plant? b) how is it best managed, e.g. how frequent watering, best location, things to watch out for etc.? Thanks, as I know very little about plants, this one was given as a present, with no instructions or nametag and I would like it to survive. Yours horticulturally Peter Tucker
Chrysalidocarpus lutescens (areca palm) I believe. http://www.hear.org/starr/hiplants/images/thumbnails/html/chrysalidocarpus_lutescens.htm Watch out for spider mites indoors. HTH Chris
Yep, Chris is right, it's a Chrysalidocarpus lutescens, areca palm. commonly called a butterfly palm. I got mine as a present as well 18 yrs ago. It's a great indoor palm! Mine gets very bright "indirect" light and gets watered when the top inch feels almost dry, or close to dry, usually a once a week watering. Dilute "reg" fertilizer in the spring and summer. Although I have never had a pest problem, watch for spidermites. My Areca Palm after an outdoor hosing off.
I have to go with Jennifer on this one, that looks more like a parlor palm than an areca palm. The parlor palm's frondy bits aren't quite as delicate and feathery, and when they get big they tend to grow up rather than fan out delicately as that gorgeous specimen pictured does. But they like the same conditions as the areca palm.
I'm disagreeing with everybody. From the second photo it looks like a Golden Cane, Dypsis lutescens, to me anyway... Ed
Family: Arecaceae (ar-ek-AY-see-ay) Genus: Dypsis (DIP-sis) Species: lutescens (loo-TESS-enz) Synonym:Areca lutescens Synonym:Chrysalidocarpus lutescens HTH Chris
I'm telling you, that is a parlor palm! I am a compulsive parlor palm buyer, and I could recognize one from SPACE...
It's a pretty questionable-looking yellow, sort of a greenery-yallery. And since the stems are covered by basically the dead bits of the old growth, they're not always a bright green. Or, at least, mine aren't, but my parlor palms do unfortunately have some dry air issues because central is great for people but sucky for my precious precious plants. And the way the topmost two frondy bits at the ends of the leaves looks more typical of a parlor rather than areca palm. (Yes, "frondy bits" is a technical term!)
Cookie, the stem only have a few dead bits to the left and looks in good condition. It looks yellow to me... Ed
Dear all Yikes! if it helps, the stems are definitely yellow and the leaves, my wife suggests are not terribly thin, about a finger's width for each frond, and her fingers are medium sized (she thinks they are small) actually having measured them they are 1.6-1.8 cm depending on the finger. Now she says 'why don't we just measure the leaves?'. Good point...here we are: The fronds, as measured by my wife personally are up to 1.4 cms. so that just shows she has a tendency to underestimate the width of her fingers. Secondly, did someone describe my plant as 'gorgeous'? if so, well thanks we like to think so too. If not, don't you think mine is just as nice? Thirdly, does the difference in identity have any implications for how to look after it (ref. bluewing's advice). Peter
