Orange Areca Palm

Orange Areca Palm (Areca vestiaria, orange form) is grown for the colour of its trunk rather than the shape of its fronds. The crownshaft and emerging leaf sheaths glow apricot orange on slender clumping stems that reach about 5m tall and 2.5m across in an Australian garden. It is a rainforest understorey palm, so it wants shade, humidity and steady moisture.

Why you'll love it

• Orange where every other palm is green. The crownshaft and new leaf bases hold their colour year round, so it reads as a feature without needing flowers.
• A small footprint for a 5m palm. At about 2.5m wide it fits a courtyard or a narrow side garden that could not take a foxtail or a bangalow.
• It prefers shade. Filtered light suits it, making it one of the few genuine feature palms for a shaded courtyard or a covered balcony.
• Wet ground is not a problem. It tolerates damp soil and heavy watering, so it suits a low spot or a bed that drains slowly.

Where it works best

Shaded courtyards, balconies and poolside. Filtered light, walls to cut the wind and reflected humidity are what it wants, and a suburban courtyard supplies all three. The clumping habit suits a pool surround, out of afternoon glare.

Large pots and feature planting. A container 600mm or wider holds it for years and keeps it nearer 3m. In the ground, plant it as a single clump under existing canopy, where mature clumps lift onto a cone of exposed stilt roots worth showing off.

Growing Orange Areca Palm in Australia

Position and climate. Filtered light or part shade, sheltered from wind. Hot afternoon sun scorches the fronds and wind shreds them. This is a palm for tropical and subtropical gardens only, and it is frost tender, so constant warmth matters as much as the absence of frost.

Soil. Rich, moisture retentive and full of organic matter, mimicking a rainforest floor. Dig compost and aged manure through the bed, then mulch heavily, 75mm or more, clear of the stems.

Water and feed. This is a high water palm. Do not let it dry out, especially in a pot, because dry roots show as brown frond tips that never green again. Feed a controlled release palm fertiliser three times through the warm months.

Pruning. Almost none. Cut fronds off only once fully brown, since the palm draws nutrients back out of a yellowing frond first. Leave the stilt roots alone.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in three sizes: 250mm pots in packs of three, single 300mm pots and 400mm pots. The 250mm and 300mm plants are juveniles, knee to waist height with the orange already showing. The 400mm plants give you presence in the first season.

Palms travel upright with the fronds tied, so expect creasing and the odd torn leaflet, which is cosmetic and grows out. Growth is moderate: allow three to five years to build real stem. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• A practical overview of palm varieties for Australian gardens
• Browse the full palm tree range
• Red Areca Palm for the same palm with a deeper red crownshaft
• Compare other plants suited to poolside planting

Common questions

How much sun does it need?

Filtered light or part shade is ideal. Morning sun is fine, but hot afternoon sun bleaches the fronds. Under an existing canopy or against a shaded wall is where it looks its best.

Can I grow it in Sydney, Perth or Melbourne?

Not in open ground. It needs tropical or subtropical warmth and it is frost tender, so gardeners in cooler cities should use a large pot in a warm courtyard and shift it under cover for winter.

Does the orange colour last?

Yes. The crownshaft and new leaf sheaths stay orange as the palm matures, and the colour is strongest on plants grown in shade with steady moisture and regular feeding.