In the wild the Areca Palm is very rare. It is known that the Areca is native to the island of Madagascar which is located in the Indian ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa.

In the natural habitat in Madagascar palms grow in tropical climate with a hot rainy season between November and March, and a cooler dry season from April to October. Minimum tolerated temperatures range from 20 F to 30 F.

They occur in dense lowland forests, ravines, rivers and hilltops. The Areca grows up to 20 feet in height. The chrysalidocarpus lutescens grows in clumps. Young trees have reedy stems and mature plants have canelike very similar to bamboo clustering trunks. The stems have yellow rings and crownshafts. Unfortunately in its native habitat the palm is also rare and endangered.

Today the Areca is widely cultivated plant. Highly ornamental in appearance the Areca palm is very popular for outdoors in the tropics around the world.

It is also the most cultivated house palm on the planet. It is very common in Florida, Arizona, California, the Caribbean region, Indonesia and Africa.

USDA hardiness zones: 10 through 11.

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