That's fantastic that you have been able to get your Areca to flower! I have had mine for 20 yrs and have yet to see any flowers. Either it's just never flowered, or I've just simply missed them. Billy Rae

David, you seem to know alot about Arecas. I have 2 hugh plants that received some freeze damage about a month and a half ago. We live in Palm Harbor and its questionable whether we should have planted them....but we did. Landscaper recommended them, he said we so RARELY get a freeze. Many people in this area have them....and theirs look worse than mine. There is still a lot of green on them, but a lot of brown on the top. Especially the older bigger stems. Will they grow new growth? My neighbors plant has no green on it at all, are they doomed. We might have hit 32 degrees (with a lot of wind that night), early in the morning but not for a long period of time. Thanks

yeh, you want to really grow them on the drier side during the northern winter as indoor plants. Watering every two days at this time of year is excessive (unless it's planted in very small pot with one of those soil mediums that holds water for about 15 minutes). I water my Areca (Dypsis lutens) about every ten days in the winter. I've never really had a problem with them as houseplants so I wouldn't say that they are bad indoor palms. Mine is currently under flourescent lights in the basement with the rest of the collection (extra humidity down there helps). And while HD (or Lowe's) is our all time favorite store to love/hate, I also wouldn't say you can't purchase great palms there for great prices. Healthy palms that I have purchased at HD include: Chinese fans, Foxtail, Manila, Parlor, Spindle, Triangle, and Dwarf Phoenix. And as the palms are overwintering under artificial light conditions, I pretty much get away with transplanting year-round.

I have gone through many palms in the last 15 years and one remains from that far back. Its a pindo palm. I have another from 5 years ago and they are very easy to grow indoors. Just water them every day in the summer and once a week in the winter. Never had a problem with pests. I also have a bismarkia that I have had for 3 years. That one I bring outside in the summer. All the palms I bought locally are gone,dead. I quess the ones they say are not meant for indoors may be the best ones to go with. By the way my pindo palm is 12 ft. tall,,250 pounds. With a 14 ft, ceiling time is running out. I plan on buying another to replace it in a year or so. ,,Bill