For a dwarf palm it sure has large fruit

[Jeff in St Pete]

A couple friends stopped by the other day and dropped off a bag of Dwarf Areca catechu fruit and I was amazed at the size of them. The fruit was tough and fibrous and hard to peel away from the large seeds. I've never grown the dwarf form before and I'm looking forward to germinating these.

[PalmatierMeg]

That's great, Jeff. Let us know what % of them turn out to be dwarfs.

[Kennybenjamin]

Won't all fruit from dwarf catechu be dwarf?

[Neil C]

http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/31715-dwarf-areca-catechu-from-seed/?hl=%2Bdwarf+%2Bcatechu

Regards Neil

[Kennybenjamin]

Thanks Neil, I just learnt something new!

Areca are funny creatures, vestiaria can produce the orange or maroon varieties and catechu dwarf can produce standard catechu... Do the standard ones also produce dwarfs?

I'm glad most palms produce reliable offspring or else who would know what they are getting when they buy seed or palms.

[Tyrone]

I wish I could grow them.

[Jeff in St Pete]

Do the standard ones also produce dwarfs?

I'm glad most palms produce reliable offspring or else who would know what they are getting when they buy seed or palms.

My neighbor has the standard form of Areca catechu that he's grown for over 25 years. That palm has produced tons of seeds which he's germinated and planted and also given away. He said as far as he knows, none of them ever turned out to be a dwarf. Here's a photo of his palm at sunset. It's tall with a skinny trunk, short petioles, and more relaxed leaves.

The other form that is popular in Costa Rica has a fatter trunk, no petioles, and more upright leaves. I always thought these were a variation of the dwarf. Many of these seem to top off in the 10 - 15 ft range.