I could stay inside and try to pretend I am in the tropics. Turn up the heat. Put on some tropical music. Make some pina coladas. And watch my Areca palm bloom and produce fruit. Yes, fruit.
Back in 2008, a friend sent me a plant arrangement after my second surgery on my leg. The grouping was small and pretty and welcome. After a few years, some plants were removed that were not doing so well. Then I found that I needed to replant the entire group to a larger basket.
There was a dracaena plant, some ivy, a croton, and an areca palm; all plants that do not require a lot of special care, just light and water. The basket sits on the sofa table in front of one of the doorwalls.
Several weeks ago I noticed this strange looking growth emanating from the palm:
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Never having grown a palm before, I had no idea what to expect. And the fact that somehow I was thinking this was a fern (DUH!), made it hard to find any info online. Then two more of these showed up.
Saturday is usually the day I check all the plants to see if they need water. Imagine my surprise when I saw these:
Now I was really stumped as to what they were. And then it hit me. This is an areca palm plant.
Dypsis lutescens Hmmm. I guess I was a bit of a 'dyp' myself in not figuring this out sooner.
The fruit that develops is apparently eaten by birds in its native Madagascar. I doubt that I will eat the fruit, but I do think I will try to find out how to plant the seeds. And from what I have read, this plant will eventually need to be moved to a larger pot by itself.
So, I'll lie back on the couch, read my mystery, watch my palm grow, and think about that pina colada. Steel drums anyone?
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