Does Areca Plam spread like other invasive plant species?
It is one of the most common questions among indoor as well as outdoor gardeners.
Areca Palm is a beautiful ornamental plant, and it grows really well in indoor and outdoor conditions.
It doesn't even require a lot of care, as it does alright in limited resources too.
But should you be getting this plant for your home garden?
Let's find out more about it in the following guide.
Do Areca Palms Spread?
Yes, Areca Palms do spread when they get adequate sunlight and water.
When you plant Areca in the open space, it also receives large room to spread and grow vigorously.
The plant has the tendency to grow in clusters.
It produces new offshoots in the growing season, which eventually increases the spread of the plant.
And this process continues to take place as long as the Areca plant receives all the resources.
It will only stop when the plant turns old and will not have enough energy to produce new shoots.
So, spreading is a lifelong process, and there are only a few things you can do to manage this issue.
In the following guide, I have shared some suggestions to tackle spread the problem.
Do check out this section, as I'm sure you will get to learn a thing or two from it.
Are Areca Palms Invasive?
Yes, Areca Palms are invasive species.
Technically, it shouldn't be considered an invasive plant.
It doesn't produce new pups like Aloe Vera or similar plants.
And therefore, you will not see this plant capturing the entire landscape in months.
But the real problem lies in its offshoots or canes.
The plant produces these shoots often, and they grow really fast as well.
Ultimately, it creates a problem, as it will occupy more space as compared to some other plants.
This is why the authorities consider it an invasive plant and do not allow the residents to plant it in some of the states.
If you are looking to plant Areca palms in your home garden, you should read the laws before going ahead with it.
Otherwise, you will land in trouble.
Also, it'd be quite a task to manage the overgrown Areca palms later.
Regarding potted Areca palms, you will not have any issues with it.
The plant will have limited space to grow, which means there won't be too many offshoots from it.
The size of the plant will also depend on how big your pot is.
If the pot is relatively small, it will contain the growth.
How Quickly Do Areca Palms Grow?
Areca Palm is a moderate grower.
Depending on the sunlight and other growing conditions, the plant will grow anywhere around 5-10 inches per year.
Its growth also depends on the amount of water supply.
If it doesn't receive enough water, its growth rate may decrease significantly.
So, as you know, the growth of this plant greatly depends on a lot of different factors, including how you care for the plant.
Below, you will find a few tips and methods to prevent and manage the spread of this plant.
4 Things To Do Contain The Spread Of Areca Palms
Note: The following tips are useful for indoor as well as outdoor Areca palm plants.
So, use them accordingly.
1. Prune The Overgrown Plant
Want to manage the Areca Palms' spread?
This is the only way to do it!
Yes, it does seem a bit harsh when you grow and take care of your palms for many years.
But in the end, you have to perform this difficult task.
Think of it as a remedy to tackle this problem.
Here's how you should go about it -
Firstly, you need to prune the shoots that are damaged or dead.
Later, you should trim the ones that are leaning outward and flat.
Try to work this way and remove as many outer shoots as possible.
Note: Even when you are performing hard pruning, make sure you do not touch the fresh ones at all.
The plant will need a few good shoots to continue its growth after pruning.
So, do remember it whenever you feel confused about this whole process.
2. Stop Fertilizing Your Areca Palm
Done with the pruning?
Now, it's time to work on some of the secondary tasks.
As you know, the Areca palm thrives when you provide palm fertilizers to it regularly.
The fertilizers boost the growth rate of such plants.
And that's what you need to work on.
If the plant has already grown too much, you should reduce the feeding frequency to 6-8 months.
In some cases, it will do just fine if you provide fertilizers once a year.
When you lower the feeding frequency, the plant will not produce as many shoots as it did previously, and this should help contain its spread.
3. Reduce The Watering Frequency
Reduce the watering frequency as well!
Generally, when the plant gets more robust and mature, it doesn't require a lot of water.
Its roots and stem will also hold more water than a younger plant.
However, if you continue with regular watering, the plant will get out of stress mode and start producing new branches and shoots in a few week's time.
Therefore, once you prune the plant, do not start watering a lot.
Change the watering schedule so that you won't see any new growth in a quick time.
4. Repot The Areca Palm
This tip is useful for your indoor Areca palm.
If the plant has overgrown over the years, it's better to think about this strategy.
For this, you will also have to consider the hard pruning method.
The hard pruning will help in removing most of the unwanted fronds from the plant.
With a smaller pot, you should be able to contain the overall growth of the plant.
It's not a permanent solution for your potted palm, but you should be able to manage it for a couple of years in this pot.
Now, let's check out the FAQs below.
FAQs
When you plant them outside in an open space, they can easily get as wide as 8-10 feet.
This is why the authorities don't recommend planting this variety of palm in such places.
As for the potted ones, the growth will entirely depend on the pot size and nutrients.
It's also relatively easy to prune the Areca palm that is planted in a pot.
You can multiply your Areca palm by two methods, i.e., seeding and separating.
The seeding method takes a lot of time, as the plants need to thrive for years.
The separation method is much better if you want to see quick results.
For this method, you should separate the young shoots from a mother plant and directly put them in another pot or soil.
It's a general practice in the gardening world, and it saves time as well.
So, if you want to multiply your Areca palm quickly, you must go for the second method.
Areca Palms have a reasonably long life span, and they live for nearly ten years.
Therefore, it makes an excellent choice for an ornamental indoor or outdoor plant.
It can be a great companion for sure.
Yes, it's one of the most easy-to-grow plants in the world.
It doesn't require too much attention and care.
All you need to do is provide decent water, sunlight, and soil, and the plant will do just fine.
If you want more lush green fronds, you can provide any palm fertilizer to it.
Yes, it can take full sun.
But it doesn't like harsh sunlight for too long.
If that's the condition at your place, the tips of the leaves may turn brown, and some of them will even turn yellow in few weeks.
It would help if you also increased the watering frequency during harsh summers to alleviate the plant's stress.
Over To You
So, do you want to plant an Areca palm in your garden?
If you have space and the laws are not strict, you must have this palm in your garden.
It will look so nice and beautiful.
Moreover, the above guide should help in resolving the spread problem.
In case you have any questions, do let me know in the comments below.
Please share this guide with your friends and family if you got something to learn from it.
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