Areca palm
Dypsis lutescens · also called Golden cane palm, butterfly palm
Foliage and indoor
- Light
- Sunny, Part sun
- Pot size
- Large pot (more than 15 litres)
- Care level
- Easy
- Year round or seasonal
- Kept year to year; in a pot, keep it above about 12.8 °C (55 °F)
- Pets
- ASPCA: non-toxic to cats and dogs
Light and position
Indoors it needs bright, indirect light. Outdoors NC State says it tolerates full sun but prefers part shade.
Size and pot
A clumping palm that NC State lists at 10 to 30 feet in the ground; in a pot it stays far smaller but still needs a large tub. Our pot band: large pot (more than 15 litres).
Watering
Keep the mix moist but not soggy during the growing season.
Potting mix and feeding
Well-drained potting soil; repot every two or three years.
Growing through the year
Likes humid air; NC State suggests a humidifier if indoor air is dry.
Winter outdoors
Cold limit in a pot: about 12.8 °C (55 °F). NC State gives no temperature for this plant and lists it only for USDA zones 10a to 11b, the tropical end of the scale. For tropical plants like this we follow NC State’s container chapter: bring tender plants inside once nights drop to 55 °F.
| Your coldest winter nights | What to do |
|---|---|
| Coldest nights 15 °C or warmer | Can stay out through this winter |
| Coldest nights 10 to 15 °C | Move it to shelter before nights fall to 12.8 °C |
| Coldest nights 5 to 10 °C | Move it to shelter before nights fall to 12.8 °C |
| Coldest nights 0 to 5 °C | Move it to shelter before nights fall to 12.8 °C |
| Light frost: nights down to about −5 °C | Move it to shelter before nights fall to 12.8 °C |
| Hard frost: nights below −5 °C | Move it to shelter before nights fall to 12.8 °C |
A plant can stay out only when its limit is below the coldest night in your band; a limit equal to that night counts as needing shelter. A rare cold snap, wind or a wet pot can still damage plants. We convert °F to °C with NIST’s formula.
Watch for
Scale, whiteflies and spider mites.
Pets and people
ASPCA lists areca palm as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses.
General gardening information, not professional advice. Plant toxicity details are a starting point, not veterinary or medical advice: if a pet or child may have eaten a plant, contact a veterinarian or doctor promptly.
Care level: NC State’s maintenance rating (Low). Pot band and summary wording are ours, based on the sources below.