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confusing names??

Ok, here's my second palm purchase of the weekend for the princely sum of £1.25/$2.5!!! the label just said 'Areca'. Not found much info here on GW as I gather you guys tend to go for the more exotic/unusual/ types eh? Oh, well...so on googling 'Areca' I find not only that is this a Chrysalidocarpus lutescens, however its now been re-named as Dypsis lutescens, it also has the common names of Golden Cane Palm, Butterfly Palm and Areca Palm even though it's not of the Areca genus...correct?? It's only a small one obviously as it hasnt got any of the multi-divided leaflets yet just double ones and is potted in a rather peaty type of compost, the care label says to keep permanently moist and out of direct light. I re-potted it in a multi-purpose compost and I added perlite as the pot it was in was a tiny 3inch one, and the outer stems were crammed against the sides of it. Once again, any tips for success?

Thanks for your patience with yet more of my 'novice' questions.

Gill.

{{gwi:1123609}}

Comments (5)

  • 18 years ago

    It is a dypsis lutescens, previously known as Areca Lutescens and Chrysalidocarpus lutescens. They are pretty easy to com by. I find them all of the time at the "dollar tree" stores for $1. They are a suckering palm, like lots of light and dislike cold temps. I had two clumps of these die when our temps hit the low 30s. Make sure to give them plenty of light or they will grow tall and lanky with a few measly fronds at the top.

    On the med fan palm, You can grow it outside. They are classified as zone 8 and above, but the roots must be kept DRY in the winter or you risk losing it. Seeing how you live in such a wet region as the UK, i would plant it in the sharpest draining spot you have.

  • 18 years ago

    Gill - the Areca Palm (common name) has changed genus several times. According to the latest issue of PlantFinder (a wholesale catalog available to us in South Florida) it's back to Dypsis again.

    Probably one of the easiest palms to grow, indoors or out, it will take as much sun as you can give it to get the best color.

    Here in zone 10, they grow to over 30' in less than ten years.

  • 18 years ago

    Thanks for sharing the photo. I was in a local greenhouse the other day, in their houseplant section, and they had 4" pots of what appeared to me to be the chamaedora elegans aka Parlour Palm, but they had it labelled as Areca, which I thought was wrong. I have a little parlour palm at home, and it's baby fronds are multidivided, not with only two leaflets as yours is showing.

    Also, and I feel dumb to ask because I can't quite discern from reading books or on the net, what is the difference between a palm that forms clumps, and one that 'clusters'?

    And with your palm (greenclaws) would you say it has started to clump, or did the grower place multiple seeds in your pot, and those stems we now see in your photo are individual plants, and then later they each will produce more little plants (hence the clumping?).

    Your view (aside from the beautiful potted palms) from your window looks spectacular, by the way.

    ~kioni~

  • 18 years ago

    The med fan is a nice find Gill!

    Jay

  • 18 years ago

    Thanks for the responses...
    CentralC & FawnR...the palm has now been duly christened as a 'Dypsis Lutescens' as I like all my 'potteds' to have a label, hopefully with the correct name! Double checked the care info label, says keep in bright light out of direct sun, websites I've looked at say full sun as do you experts. So guess the south window will be fine for some time as the sun is not that strong yet?
    The Chamaerops I will grow on as a potted palm for as long as I can, placing it outside when it warms up, then consider planting it permanently outdoors at some future point.

    Kioni, Not sure about the clumping/clustering issue, never occured to me. Another term is 'suckering', are they all one and the same?? Perhaps somone will clarify for us?? Not sure if mine is one plant or several. Am on the lookout for a Chamadorea Elegans to replace one I grew years ago, it was a nice, easy plant that produced sprays of 'fruits' almost year round. From what I recall it's baby fronds were also divided like it's mature ones and not like the double ones in the pic above. Realise the Dypsis will produce more divided pinnate fronds later on.

    Jay, yes my palm collection is growing quickly...having almost doubled my varieties in one day with these 2 new types!! haha!
    Gill.

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