Bamboo palm is a palm from Madagascar grown as a houseplant across the United States. Several slender, yellow-green stems grow from one base and carry long, arching leaves. It is also called areca palm or yellow butterfly palm.
Appearance
Growth form
Several slender, ringed canes grow from one base. Outdoors they can reach 20–30 ft (6–9 m).
Leaves
Long leaves arch outward, with many narrow leaflets arranged along each side.
Both palms form clumps of cane like stems. Look at the leaves: areca palm has larger, arching leaves with many closely spaced leaflets; the other bamboo palm has thinner canes and fewer, more widely spaced leaflets.
Why they get mixed up · Both are sold under the name bamboo palm.
Where it lives
Typical habitats
indoor pots
warm patios and landscapes
Range
Native to Madagascar. In the United States, it is a houseplant in cooler areas and a landscape palm in frost free areas such as southern Florida.
Preferred conditions
Indoors, give it bright indirect light and well drained soil that stays lightly moist. Outdoors, it suits hardiness zones 10a–11b.
Growing it
Care
Dry indoor air can brown the leaf tips; the plant grows best with moderate humidity.
Propagation
It can be grown from seed or by dividing a clump.
Name and classification
About the name
This palm is also called Chrysalidocarpus lutescens.
Conservation
IUCN Red List
NTNear Threatened·Could become threatened before long
Culture and stories
Culture and stories
In southern Florida, people plant it in groups for a leafy screen.