Landscape Showroom / RLC Selection Guide

Areca Palm for Tampa Landscapes

Dypsis lutescens (also Chrysalidocarpus lutescens)

Also called: Yellow butterfly palm; golden cane palm

Areca palm can make a soft tropical screen with many stems and feathery fronds. It provides a very different privacy effect from a clipped hedge: airy movement above and a dense clump where stems are retained.

Plan this with RLC →

AI-generated illustration. Actual plants and materials vary; confirm the supplied selection with RLC.

At a glance

Where it fits

Allow a deep bed and room to maintain the clump. It can frame a pool view or soften a boundary, but fronds should not lean against the screen enclosure. Consider the view through the lower stems before promising complete screening.

Sizes and varieties

Clump fullness matters as much as height. A tall sparse pot and a shorter dense pot will give different privacy on day one. Removing too many lower canes can change the very screening effect you selected it for.

Care through the seasons

Manage old stems and dead foliage selectively. Avoid stripping every lower leaf or repeatedly cutting the plant into a hedge shape. Water and palm nutrition need to suit the site. UF/IFAS flags escape management in South Florida; use responsibly and prevent spread beyond the landscape.

Placement mistakes to avoid

Do not pack it into a narrow foundation strip or rely on it in an exposed freeze pocket. Mature clumps take space and produce maintenance debris.

Buying size is not finished size

Commonly 7-, 15- and larger gallon clumps; compare cane density. These are nursery formats to ask about, not a live stock list or a guaranteed height. Compare the actual canopy, root ball, cultivar and overall condition. Leave room for the mature plant, even when a new installation initially looks open.

Planning the installation

Measure the usable bed, including space around windows, paths, utilities and irrigation. Show RLC both a wide view and the details of the existing ground. Discuss removals, preparation, access and watering before choosing a quantity. A larger plant may give more presence on day one, but the right location and establishment care still determine the result.

What affects cost?

Relative starting plant tier: $$. A tier compares material categories; it is not an installed price. Nursery size, fullness, quantity, delivery access, removals and irrigation changes can alter the quote. Compare the whole scope, including the selected variety and size.

Common question

Is areca an instant privacy hedge?

Only where the purchased clump’s actual width and density cover the view. It is a clumping palm screen, and gaps, cold damage and pruning can affect privacy.

Reference: Plant or product information. Planning guidance reviewed September 2026. Availability and installed prices are confirmed by quote.