Areca! I found it.

[PalmatierMeg]

One sweltering day this past week I realized I hadn't posted any new photos since the spring. And everyone loves photos, right? So, I got to thinking about one of my favorite genera: Areca. This notoriously cold sensitive genus hails from tropical Asia and I would love to have a garden of dozens of species. But most of them of them can't survive in my climate, which breaks my heart. However, I've managed a scant few successes. Most of those are Areca catechu semi-dwarfs and dwarfs, some which I germinated myself. For some reason, the dwarfs are marginally cold hardier than the normal variety, which is rated a zone 11. I've decided to do a photo essay on the incarnations of Areca catechu.

Areca catechu normal: In habitat this variety can reach 100' tall. I grew this palm from seeds, planted it last fall at the edge of my jungle just above the canal. It survived winter and is growing quickly in the heat. Note the long, thin stem, petioles and spaced out leaflets - no signs of stunting or rigid, scrunched leaves.

Areca catechu semi-dwarf: Dwarfism in A. catechu occurs along a spectrum. The semi-dwarf shows subdued traits, including shortened stems and petioles and some scrunching of the leaves. I bought the palm in the following photos as a dwarf but understood it would never show extreme dwarfism. And the price was right. Was I lied to? That's in the eye of the beholder. It's a handsome palm anyway. The stem is chunkier, the leaves somewhat scrunched and petioles only 4-6" long. It stands 5-6' tall, excluding pot.

Areca catechu semi-dwarf #2: I germinated this palm from semi-dwarf seeds I received from Scott Zona

Areca catechu dwarf: I've owned this palm for a number of years. It is in a very large pot on a wheeled dolly set on my back lanai. If temps fall below 45F I wheel it indoors along with my other uber tropicals. The gold ring for A.c. extreme dwarfism is a total lack of a petiole. Those specimens are very rare indeed and I am still looking. The palm in the following has petioles 1/2" to 1" long, so it is close. It lives under shadecloth, which might be causing the minimal petioles. Dwarfs grown in sun have shorter petioles while those in shade "stretch out."

[PalmatierMeg]

Note: the last photo in the previous post is of the semi-dwarf and ended up there by mistake - I can't get it to delete.

More Areca catechu dwarfs. I keep about 6 or 8 dwarf Arecas outdoors on blocks where they receive full sun and are blocked from the north by our house. I didn't protect them last winter. The ultimate low was 41.5F, higher than normal but they suffered only minimal damage. A couple of the the larger ones I purchased, others I grew from seeds. I kept the most dwarfed among them and sold the rest. None is an example of extreme dwarfism so far but a couple are close. I've been told the full spectrum doesn't manifest itself until the palms are at least 3g or larger. So, purchasing tiny seedlings is pointless. 

Group photos

Example #1

Example #2

Example #3

[PalmatierMeg]

And more

Areca concinna: A gorgeous, elegant little species that is one of my favorites. I had a solitary one that I lost in the terrible winter of 2009/2010. This spring I found this replacement at Jeff Searle's Naples palm sale. I planted it on the northern edge of my jungle where it is shielded from full summer sun by a piccabeen (those make great canopies). This little guy I will protect this coming winter. 

Areca macrocalyx seedlings: The pie-eyed optimist in me got the better of my common sense. This Areca is notoriously cold sensitive - said to croak if temps fall below 50F. I once kept one in a pot alive fot 2 years. This species stands 0% chance in the ground here. Yet here I go germinating seeds of it. I hope to appreciate them as long as I can.

[ruskinPalms]

Beautiful! I’ve always liked the look of these palms. Wish I could grow them in the ground here. 

[Tracy S]

Great post. Love to see the comparison photos. Thanks.

[Palm Tree Jim]

Thanks for sharing your incredible areca  collection.

I just wish we could grow some of them here in Southern California.

[palmsOrl]

Areca is one of my favorite genera as well Meg.   A. concinna is on my buy list next time I am at the Searle sale.  Thank you for sharing, yours look great!  Are you planning on selling some of the A. macrocalyx at some point?

[JohnLight]

There is a large macrocalyx in ground in Hollywood, Fl. I’d say it can take temps below 50 no problem! We get cold, not to cold but much colder than 50 lol! 

[Hilo Jason]

Great thread and photos. Thanks for posting them. I’ve become quite a fan of Arecas after moving from California to Hawaii.  Such beautiful palms.

[OC2Texaspalmlvr]

Thanks @PalmatierMegfor the visuals a some very beautiful palms your growing. Plus the insight on the variations in sizes of these palms. Im truly jealous of the palms your growing in your garden 

[Kaname-kun]

I have several Areca vestiarias growing in the ground for the last several years in Fort Lauderdale . . . and some Areca macocalyx, too. The tallest againt the bald cypress iis about 10 feet?

New red frond

A. macrophylla

A.

Edited June 29, 2019 by Kaname-kun
spelling

[PalmatierMeg]

Beautiful vestiarias. I've tried that species several times but they never survived long term. Also, I've had no luck with guppyana, ipot or latiloba, all of which I'd dearly love to grow. If they don't die right off they go into a decline until they croak. I think they need a year round tropical climate and my 1/3 wet season, 2/3 dry season and winter does them in.

[palmsOrl]

 

I’m surprised that A. vestiaria didn’t work for you Meg, as I’m sure you gave it good care, including lots of water.  I’ve even considered planting one in the ground here in the Orlando area and giving it protection as needed of course.  I would have thought that A. vestiaria is on par with Adonidia merrillii cold hardiness wise.

Areca triandra is among the most cold hardy of the Areca species in my experience and according to others.  Mine took light freezes but was killed by 2010.  However, it did not clump (was a single 9 foot specimen) so it perhaps didn’t have the potential to come back from the roots like I expect it would have if it were a clumper.

My favorite species that I have grown are Pinanga patula and Pinanga javana.

Edited June 29, 2019 by palmsOrl

[The Gerg]

On 6/28/2019 at 12:21 PM, ruskinPalms said:

Beautiful! I’ve always liked the look of these palms. Wish I could grow them in the ground here. 

Ditto.

[G_Tampa]

Hi there! I had a hedge row of 7 gallon Arecas planted 2 weeks back in St Pete and worried the cold weather during their settling in. Did I make a huge mistake on timing? Looks like they are starting to go a bit brown. I have them hooked up to irrigation and currently drip watering for 1.5hrs per day- is that going to be enough or too much? My gardener did a bit of an install and dash, but for the three folks I got out to quote, all said I was fine for timing. Any help would be great.

[tjwalters]

8 hours ago, G_Tampa said:

Hi there! I had a hedge row of 7 gallon Arecas planted 2 weeks back in St Pete and worried the cold weather during their settling in. Did I make a huge mistake on timing? Looks like they are starting to go a bit brown. I have them hooked up to irrigation and currently drip watering for 1.5hrs per day- is that going to be enough or too much? My gardener did a bit of an install and dash, but for the three folks I got out to quote, all said I was fine for timing. Any help would be great.

Do you have photos?  It sounds as if what you really planted is Dypsis lutescens, which is often called "areca," and not actual palms in the genus Areca.  These are clumping and often used as hedges or for privacy.

[tjwalters]

@PalmatierMeg - Have you tried A. tridandra at all?  Might do well for you there.

[PalmatierMeg]

15 hours ago, tjwalters said:

@PalmatierMeg - Have you tried A. tridandra at all?  Might do well for you there.

I've tried them too, mostly from seeds, but with little luck. I don't know why as someone in St. Petersburg has them. I'll have to try again with my newest potting mix relying heavily on coco coir. I am trying a so-called A. trianda Dwarf from seeds I got from Australia pre-covid. Also, A. catechu Dwarf x A. macrocalyx from seed. Excited about that one. 

[tjwalters]

3 hours ago, PalmatierMeg said:

I've tried them too, mostly from seeds, but with little luck. I don't know why as someone in St. Petersburg has them. I'll have to try again with my newest potting mix relying heavily on coco coir. I am trying a so-called A. trianda Dwarf from seeds I got from Australia pre-covid. Also, A. catechu Dwarf x A. macrocalyx from seed. Excited about that one. 

Here's mine now.  Getting a bit large for a potted palm.  Come and get it.

[PalmatierMeg]

Nice Areca. It must like MD better than SWFL

[John hovancsek]

I am in love with this Areca laoensis. If you ever have a chance to get seed or a plant jump on it. I also have a guppyana that is just starting to grow and a vesti that is growing so fast. Please excuse the high grass, I work 7 days a week

[realarch]

Thanks for all the info and photos Meg, it’s much appreciated.

Tim

[Kaname-kun]

10 hours ago, John hovancsek said:

I am in love with this Areca laoensis. If you ever have a chance to get seed or a plant jump on it. I also have a guppyana that is just starting to grow and a vesti that is growing so fast. Please excuse the high grass, I work 7 days a week

Is that last photo an Iriartea deloidea? Looking great!

[John hovancsek]

3 hours ago, Kaname-kun said:

Is that last photo an Iriartea deloidea? Looking great!

Yes it’s hard to get that palm photographed so I had to take it from a distance . Here is the colorful base