Family: Arecaceae

Areca is a cluster-forming palm.

A crown of green pinnate fronds gently arches away from a segmented trunk. The trunk is similar to bamboo; another common name is bamboo palm. The trunk, frond midribs, and flowers are yellow, hence the epithet lutescens. 

It is rarely found in its native land of Madagascar but is one of the most popular houseplants. For every 100 square feet, areca transpires 1 liter of water every 24 hours. Besides the natural oxygen and humidity, NASA found the areca palms efficiently filter out volatile organic compounds. It does best with bright indoor light. In the past, outdoor areca was a rare sight as most people grew them indoors.  Today it is one of the most common landscaping plants. 

It grows fast to make a privacy screen, hedge, or boundary dilatation. Seeds germinate in four months. Clumps can be separated from the mother plant with an ‘o’o bar. Dead fronds should be picked up to acquire a neater appearance.

Plant Uses:

• Container plant
• Hedge
• Indoor plant
• Ornamental
• Privacy / screening

Plant Dangers:

• No dangers

High Risk Traits:

• Naturalized in Puerto Rico, Lesser Antilles, and South Florida
  
• High climate suitability for tropical/subtropical regions
  
• Widely introduced as popular ornamental
  
• Host for pathogens including Bipolaris setariae and Calonectria colhounii
  
• Shade tolerant - can establish in understory
  
• Broad soil tolerance - adapts to sand, clay, loam, various pH
  
• Bird-dispersed seeds (fleshy drupes)
  
• Prolific seed production (>2,000 seeds per panicle)
  
• Resprouts vigorously after cutting

Low Risk Traits:

• No evidence of agricultural or environmental weed status
  
• Non-toxic to animals and humans
  
• No spines/thorns
  
• No vegetative fragmentation - reproduces by seed only
  
• No persistent seed bank - seeds lose viability in ~2 months
  
• Large propagules (1.5-2 cm) - unlikely unintentional dispersal
  
• Herbicide controllable (oxadiazon effective)