Welcome to the
October, 2002 edition of:
Palm of the Month!
This Month's
Featured Palm:
Areca catechu
Betal Nut Palm!
 Remember,
palm lovers, the Rogers & Hammerstein song, "Bloody Mary?" She was always
chewing betal nuts! The Areca catechu has many lovers of its intoxicating betal
nuts, in the South Pacific region!
This relatively slender, and relatively diminutive palm
is cultivated in the rainforests and other moist lands from India through Malaysia...and
throughout the Pacific Islands' Region. It is cultivated primarily for the tissue
surrounding the seeds, which when chewed with the leaves of a pepper vine (Piper betle),
and ground lime releases a narcotic stimulant similar to cocaine! Yes, Bloody
Mary...and the many betal nut aficionados in tropical countries, are quite happy!
"And ain't that too damned bad!"
Some characteristics and specifications of Areca
catechu are the following:
 Hardiness Zone: USDA 11 (over 47 degrees F., is optimal) but
freezing temperatures are a terminally limiting factor
Growth Rate: Moderate
Origin: Exact Origin unknown; possibly Malaysia or Indonesia.
Typical Height: 30' (26 Meters)
Salt Tolerance: Fairly Low; not a strand palm.
Drought Tolerance: Low! Not for the arid
tropics, friends!
Soil Requirements: Acid soil is best; amend with humus in calcareous soils!
Light Requirements: Moderate to high is best. Young
specimens are quite tolerant of lower light environments, surprisingly, however!
Nutritional Requirements: Moderate; organic materials incorporated into the
soil is a "plus!"
Propagation: Seed; germination within 2 to 3 months.
Major Pests: None
Major Disease: Ganoderma butt rot, unfortunately.
Crownshaft: Bright green
Fruit: 2" long; colour is orange or red.
 In frost-free moist climates, the Areca catechu is a wonderful
landscape palm because it is appropriately sized for the average contemporary home's lot,
bears lovely and colourful fruit (beautiful whether one chooses to chew them, or not!), is
free of armed fronds, and shouts "the tropics" with its vibrant green leaf
colour!
It is appropriate that Areca catechu (Betal Nut Palm)
be selected as October,
2002's Palm Of The Month!
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