Areca palm care: watering and light
The areca palm fills a corner with light, arching fronds. It wants plenty of light, humidity and regular watering — more attention than other palms, but worth it.
Areca palm needs water roughly every 5 days in summer and every 8 in winter (east-facing window, in a 16 cm plastic pot with a drainage hole). Before watering, always check with a finger in the soil: if it’s still damp, wait.
At a glance
- Scientific name
- Dypsis lutescens
- Also known as
- Butterfly palm
- Preferred light
- Bright indirect light
- Difficulty
- Demanding
- Tolerates drought
- No
- Tolerates shade
- No
- Where it lives
- Indoors
Where to put it
It needs bright indirect light, close to a bright window but out of direct midday sun. Away from the light, the fronds yellow. Keep it away from radiators and draughts.
How to water
It likes slightly moist soil in spring and summer: water when the top layer dries. In winter, let it dry a little more. Never leave it standing in water.
Common mistakes
Brown tips are the classic: dry air or hard water. Trim only the brown part. Fine webbing and dull fronds may be spider mites, which love dry air — regularly showering the fronds helps keep them away.
How many days between waterings, spot by spot
| Where it lives | In July | In January |
|---|---|---|
| South- or west-facing window | 4 days | 7 days |
| East-facing window | 5 days | 8 days |
| North-facing window | 8 days | 13 days |
| Hallway or corner with no window | 11 days | 18 days |