The golden fruit palm is one of the most popular larger indoor palms - after all, with its beautiful fronds it also brings an atmosphere into the room that can evoke wanderlust… However, its cultivation requires a layed-back attitude that is not quite as holiday-like.
The golden fruit palm is a popular houseplant for us
Table of Contents
Show all- tip
- sorts
- Golden fruit palm comes only from very special areas of eastern Madagascar
- Habitat of origin tropical-humid
- endangered species
- Multi-stem palm
- Stems green or yellow depending on the light
- Spreading, umbrella-like leaf fronds
- In the wild up to 10 m high, indoors around 3 m
- Slow growth rate
- large, pinnate leaf blade with narrow, lanceolate individual leaves
- fresh green color
- long petioles, springy movement
- Gold to orange-yellow, deep red or black color
- Ovate pseudopods, about 2.5 cm long
- Golden fruit palm likes to be bright but protected from direct sunlight
- Temperature around 20°C all year round
- Can also be taken outside in summer
- High humidity
- Areca has quite a high water requirement - but it has to be dosed carefully
- Avoid waterlogging - pour out coaster water that has been standing for too long
- Repot mature golden fruit palms about every 2-3 years
- Young specimens every year
- Potting time: Spring
origin
The golden fruit palm is a so-called endemic - it comes from a very specific region and is not widespread anywhere else. The endemic home region of the golden fruit palm is the eastern part of Madagascar. There it has chosen very specific areas of the local rainforest to grow and is considered an endangered species because of this sparse distribution. The golden fruit palm was imported from Madagascar to Germany as early as 1820.
To remember:
growth
The golden fruit palm or areca palm, botanically Dypsis lutescens, grows as a tree with multiple, tubular trunks that stand close together. The individual trunks are quite thin and green at 5 to 7 centimeters, depending on the light intensity they also turn yellow. The palm fronds form a wide, umbrella-like crown with their spreading blades and their overhanging habit. In its natural habitat, the areca can grow up to 10 meters high, in the local indoor culture it usually ends at about 3 meters. Their growth rate is quite slow.
Growth characteristics at a glance:
leaves
Its fruit is honored in the name of the golden fruit palm. In the local room culture, however, the main focus is on their leaf fronds in terms of their ornamental value. These are not only particularly beautiful to look at, they are usually the only thing that the palm tree can offer in terms of spectacles. It forms flowers in the room as well as never. The fresh green leaves have a typical palm-like pinnate structure with narrow, lanceolate individual leaves that form a handsome, V-shaped blade with a length of almost 2 to 2.5 centimeters.
They swing elastically on the approximately 60 cm long leaf stalks and are particularly attractive when the palm tree is outside in summer.
Sheet properties at a glance:
blossoms
As already mentioned, if the golden fruit palm is kept indoors, it almost never blooms. The site conditions required for this simply cannot be adequately met here. When a golden fruit palm blossoms, they emerge below the crown as a large, sprawling, multi-branched panicle with small, light yellow individual flowers.
fruit
The appearance of the gold fruit palm fruits is inherent in their name - in fact, they appear golden, orange-yellow in color. Sometimes, however, they can also take on a deep red or black color. They are egg-shaped pseudopods, 2.5 centimeters long, with a fibrous, leathery texture.
Fruits in keywords:
location
Like so many other rainforest plants, the golden fruit palm likes it very bright but not sunny. In its original habitat, it is towered over by much taller plants, so it is not used to intense sunlight. So put it in a spot indoors where it gets plenty of light all day but will be shaded by other tall plants or a thin awning.
In terms of temperature, the Areca prefers a warm 20°C - best all year round. So it can best be kept permanently in a heated conservatory. In summer, a temporary freshness cure on the terrace is also good for her. In winter it can stand a little cooler, but not significantly. However, their ambient temperature should not drop below 15°C.
The humidity should be as high as possible given their tropical home.
Site requirements at a glance:
Earth
The golden fruit palm needs a fresh and relatively nutritious substrate as a substrate. A mixture of commercially available potting soil with a good portion of compost is well suited. The pH should be slightly acidic.
Alternatively, you can also grow the Golden Palm hydroponically in soilless expanded clay substrate (€19.73) over a water-nutrient solution. This also makes it easier for you to practice casting, which needs to be finely dosed.
pour
When it comes to the water requirements of the golden fruit palm, the rule of thumb is: moist, but not waterlogging. Casting therefore requires a little finesse. You have to water the palm regularly and, especially in summer, plenty of it and make sure that the earth ball never dries out. The Areca is not allowed to stand in the water either. Excess water in the saucer should therefore be poured out, at least the palm tree must not have wet feet for too long. Use room-warm water if possible.
To remember:
Fertilize
During the main vegetation phase from spring to autumn, you can fertilize your golden fruit palm every one to two weeks with a simple universal liquid fertilizer. Special palm fertilizers are even better suited. In winter, increase the fertilization interval to at least 3 weeks.
When potting, you provide the palm with good, mature compost for a permanent supply of nutrients. You can also use fertilizer sticks (€4.48) for long-term fertilization.
To cut
Elaborate pruning measures are not necessary for the golden fruit palm. It grows naturally compact at the base and does not overflow with its palm fronds. Nevertheless, due to its wide, swinging habit, the palm tree naturally needs a lot of space. You can therefore remove the outer fronds if necessary. Otherwise, only old, dried leaves have to be cut off. To do this, place the scissors directly on the base of the trunk.
If you are bothered by brownish discolored leaf tips, you can also prune them. Be careful not to penetrate the healthy leaf tissue.
repot
Since the golden fruit palm does not grow particularly quickly, repotting is not necessary very often. A gap of about 2 to 3 years is usually sufficient. With young specimens, however, a new pot can be due every year. But only repot if the palm really gets too tight on its feet. Because their roots are quite sensitive and should be left alone as much as possible. The ideal repotting time is spring.
To remember:
multiply
offshoot
The easiest way to propagate a golden fruit palm is to use ground shoots. This forms the golden fruit palm when it has reached a certain age. You only need to separate them from the mother plant and put them in their own pot with humus-rich soil substrate. But make sure that the shoot has reached a minimum length of about 30 centimeters and has developed healthy roots.
Place the pot with the young plant in a bright, warm place that is protected from direct sunlight. It can be helpful for growth to cover the young daughter plant with a film with air holes to ensure an even, warm, humid climate.
seed sowing
Another variant is seed sowing. It can be done all year round, but spring is the best time. Of course, much more patience is required here - both when growing and when waiting for a beautiful, mature palm tree. Keep in mind that the golden fruit palm is a slow grower and therefore takes a few years to grow into a sizeable specimen.
Put the seeds in bowls with potting soil and keep them evenly moist, if possible under a foil bag until germination. Golden fruit palm seeds need a relatively long time, about 4 to 5 weeks, until they sprout.
Diseases
Particular diseases are not a big issue with the golden fruit palm. If it shows damage to the leaves, this is usually a sign of incorrect watering practice or a wrong location. More on that below.
As a secondary consequence of pest infestation, sooty mold can form as a result of the injuries in the leaves. You fight this fungus first by removing the diseased parts of the plant and, if necessary, using a fungicide.
pests
As with many tropical plants with high humidity requirements, the golden fruit palm can be infested with drought-loving pests in heated room culture. The typical candidates are spider mites, scale insects and mealybugs.
spider mites
These small parasites are reddish, yellowish, or teal in color and are best recognized by the delicate webs they coat their host plant with. They suck the plant sap on the leaves and usually stay on their undersides, where the larvae are also deposited.
The best way to remove spider mites is to first mechanically rinse the palm tree thoroughly with a powerful jet of water disperser. Then wrap the plant in foil and close it at the lower trunk base. After a week, the pests should be gone underneath.
scale insects
Scale insects are reddish to tan in color and when tapping on the host plant they secrete sticky honeydew that gives away their population. Ants, which prefer to eat honeydew, can also be an indicator of scale insect infestation.
You should also remove scale insects from the golden fruit palm mechanically with water first. It is best to use a wet cloth and wipe the leaves thoroughly with it. You can also use a spray treatment made from garlic, nettle or tansy stock. For stubborn infestations, oil-based preparations that suffocate the lice are suitable.
Mealybug
Mealybugs are easy to recognize by the woolly, white coat that gives them their name, which they attach to their host plant when they suckle. The lice stay on the entire plant and also lay their eggs in the substrate.
If the golden fruit palm is infested with mealybugs, you should first separate them from other plants to prevent transmission. The best way to get rid of lice is to use a spray treatment with a mixture of spirit, water and curd soap (mixing ratio 15 ml-1 l-15 ml). If the substrate with the roots is also affected, you must repot the plant and carefully but thoroughly clean the root system.
white bow tie
Occasionally, the golden fruit palm can also be attacked by the whitefly. These animals are actually not insects, but whitefly insects. They get their name from their fly-like appearance, which is characterized by large wings covered with white wax dust. They mainly live on the underside of the leaves, where they also place their larvae, and suck the sap of the host plant. They secrete sticky honeydew like scale insects.
If you notice an infestation of whiteflies on your golden fruit palm, you should act as soon as possible, because the parasites spread quickly. As a first aid, you can stick sticky yellow tablets into the substrate, to which the pests will cling. Furthermore, the use of preparations based on neem tree oil, which are very gentle on plants, is recommended.
prevention
Keep all of the pests mentioned away from your golden fruit palm by ensuring that there is sufficient humidity. Treat her to a fine, misty shower from the water disperser on a regular basis. You should also regularly ventilate your conservatory or the greenhouse in which your golden fruit palm is located.
Yellow leaves
Yellow discolored leaves on the golden fruit palm usually indicate an infestation by spider mites. But too much watering can also be the reason. Never leave the palm tree in the water for too long.
If the yellow discoloration is accompanied by a patchy structural change and the leaves are increasingly falling off, this is an indication of a pest infestation.
brown leaves
If the golden fruit palm leaves turn brown, this is usually a sign of excessive drought. Either it hasn't been watered enough or the air in the room is too dry. Always ensure sufficient humidity.
It is also possible that you have exposed palm trees to strong sunlight and the leaves are simply burned. If so, shade them and remove the brown leaves.
Poisonous
The Areca palm is not poisonous. So you don't necessarily need to wear gloves when cutting or repotting, nor do you need to keep children and pets away from it.
meal
However, you should not eat plant parts of the golden fruit palm. Although there is no risk of poisoning, the individual leaves of the palm fronds are very pointed and sharp-edged. Curious small children or cats could injure their mucous membranes if they try to eat them.
tip
The golden fruit palm made it onto NASA's list of air-purifying plants. It is able to neutralize xylene and toluene from the air to a large extent. It can therefore have a long-term health-promoting effect in rooms where adhesives, paints and solvents are used and there is an increased concentration of these substances, which are primarily harmful to the respiratory tract.
sorts
There are no special varieties of the golden fruit palm.