Dypsis lutescens

golden cane palm

Due to its clustering habit and graceful, luxuriant tropical foliage, this palm makes a great screen. The banded trunks make clumps of the palm look like stands of bamboo.

It is also the most popular indoor palm for homes. NASA found this palm to filter xylene and toluene from the air, which indicates the plant could be a good air purifier. Since it can transpire about one liter of water every 24 hours, it also makes a good natural humidifier.

While most palms do well in full sun, the golden cane palm prefers filtered light. However, if you enjoy the golden color on the palms, you can aim for more light than shade, as the more light the plant has, the more golden color will be shown. Be careful not to push the limit too much, though, as specimens planted in too much sun without irrigation tend to be stunted and scraggly with yellowish foliage. These symptoms may also be present in palms that are lacking sufficient levels of potassium.

Fortunately, beauty doesn’t come at too high a price with these palms; they can be easily found for purchase at very reasonable prices.