areca lutescens
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Family: Palmaceae 
Origin: Madagascar 
Synonym: Chrysalidocarpus lutescens
Common name: areca palm, bamboo palm
 
CHARACTERISTICS: Only one Areca species is widely grown as a houseplant: A. lutescens. This palm, Areca lutescens and still sometimes called the areca palm, produces tufts of reddish stems that support arched leaves on yellow petioles 60cm long. The leaves of an Areca 1.50 m tall can measure 90-120 cm in length and are divided into numerous yellowish-green, shiny and leathery leaflets, which reach 60 cm in length and 1.5 cm in width. The leaflets are inserted in nearly opposite pairs on a prominent central axis. Older stems show scars where leaves formerly attached. 
Development is relatively slow. A plant grown in good light and normal room temperature grows an average of 15-20 cm per year. Potted specimens usually produce large numbers of beads. 
 
CAUTIONS 
Light. These palm trees do best in direct sun shaded by a blind or translucent curtain.
Temperature. Normal room temperature is appropriate. A minimum temperature of 13°C is essential for healthy development. 
Watering. Water abundantly whenever necessary to keep the mixture completely moist, but never leave the pot in water. If the temperature drops below 13°C, water only to prevent the mixture from drying out completely. 
Fertilizing. Apply a liquid fertilizer every two weeks to actively growing plants.   
Bottling and repotting. Use a mixnormal for potting. Every two years, in spring, move the plants to a pot of the above size until reaching the maximum convenient; thereafter, replace the surface layer of mix every year. Compress the mixture well around the roots, but without damaging the main thick ones.