Golden cane palm
Dypsis lutescens · also called Butterfly palm, Areca palm
The golden cane palm is a clumping palm from eastern Madagascar, grown for its cluster of golden stems and arching, yellow-green fronds. It is one of the most popular palms in the tropics and subtropics because it is easy to grow, and it works in garden beds, pots and poolside plantings. Before planting, note that Unitywater lists it among plants to keep away from water and sewer pipes.
- Exotic
- 4 m tall
Golden cane palm at a glance
- Height
- 4 m
- Leaves
- Evergreen
- Flowers
- Small and easy to miss
- Roots
- Aggressive
- Origin
- Eastern Madagascar
- Family
- Arecaceae
How to identify a golden cane palm
Golden cane palm grows as a clump of up to about a dozen slender stems, golden to yellow-green, that curve outward from the base. There is no single main trunk. The fronds are feather-shaped and arch over, with yellow-green leaflets, giving the whole plant a warm golden tone. Its dense, bushy clump sets it apart from single-trunked palms such as the bangalow palm, which carries its crown on one smooth grey trunk.
Growing a golden cane palm in Brisbane
Golden cane palm comes from coastal eastern Madagascar and is popular in subtropical gardens, though it isn't very frost tolerant. It grows best in full sun in well-drained soil that stays moist, but it also does well in part shade and copes with dry spells once settled. Yates rates it for pots, gardens near salt pools and protected coastal gardens, and gives about 4 metres as its eventual height in open ground. Unitywater advises against planting it near water and sewer pipes.
What to watch out for
The main concern is underground. Unitywater, a South East Queensland water and sewer utility, lists golden cane palm among the plants not to grow near water supply and sewer pipes, since roots can find their way into any imperfection in a pipe. Find out where your pipes run before you plant.
Pruning and care
Golden cane palm needs little pruning beyond cutting off dead, brown fronds close to the stem. Water it well after planting and keep the soil moist for several weeks while it settles in. Mulch around the base, keeping the mulch off the stems, and feed in spring. In a pot, use a quality potting mix and give indoor plants bright, indirect light. Removing a large, established clump is a job for a professional tree service.
Are golden cane palm roots invasive?
How tall does a golden cane palm grow?
Can you grow golden cane palm in a pot?
Sources and credits
- Dypsis lutescens Palm and Cycad Societies of Australia (PACSOA)
- How to grow palms Yates
- Think before you plant Unitywater
- Cool climate palms and ferns Burke's Backyard
Photo: Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Second photo: Photo by David J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Checked October 2026. Weed listings and council rules change: check the council's and the Queensland Government's pages before you act.
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