Areca - Betel Palm

(Are'ca)

DESCRIPTION: These feathery leaved Palms are native to Madagascar and other tropical regions. They are great as potted plants when they are young. They need a minimum temperature of 60 degrees. They can live outside in southern Florida and other subtropical and tropical regions. A. Cathecu, the Betel Palm, produces the well-known Betel Nut of commerce, which is in great demand in Eastern countries for chewing. It is slender and can grow up to 100 feet tall. A glandiformis is also tall and slender. A triandra is a pretty variety having several 5- to 10-foot tall stems.

POTTING: They need a moist, shady position in the greenhouse. The best compost to use is two parts loam, one part leaf mold or peat moss and a good amount of sand. If the plants need more room, they should be repotted into slightly larger pots in March. They need a lot of water during the summer and only a moistening when the soil becomes dry in the winter.

PROPAGATION: Seeds can be sown in pots of sandy soil in the spring or summer in a propagating case in a 65- to 75-degree temperature. The seedlings are potted in 3-inch pots and, later, in larger pots.

VARIETIES: A. Cathecu (the Betel Palm); A. glandiformis; A. triandra.

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