Lipstick Palm Description
Aricle by RPT
Click to Buy a Red Sealing Wax Looking for a medium sized exotic palm tree that gets attention, the Lipstick Palm tree (Cyrtostachys renda) does that and more. With its stunning red stalk and lush green leaves the Lipstick Palm stands out in the crowd. Its a very temperamental palm, but if your looking a sought-after palm than go no further. The Lipstick Palm originates from southeast Asia and is commonly referred to as the Sealing Wax Palm or the Red Sealing wax Palm. Many people agree that the stunning beautiful tropical lipstick palm is among the most rare and exotic palm trees of the Arecaceae family. With only a few species having a red crownshaft, none are yet as vibrant and red as the lipstick palm. Scene vary rarely in North America; the lipstick palm can make a great addition to any home located in zone 11 and above. Given the right environment, the lipstick palm can live and grown in any indoor space. Similar in traits as the bamboo palm; they have a high tendency to clump next to each other. For this reason, the lipstick palm tree is great for screening areas such as a spa or jaccuci. The Lipstick palm is a must have for any palm tree collector or palm tree enthusiast. The Lipstick palm is also great for the pool area, patio, or even a Zen garden oasis.- Family:Arecaceae Palm Tree
- Common Name:Sealing Wax Palm, Red Sealing Wax Palm, Red Wax Palm, Lisptick Palm, pinang raja (Malaysia)
- Scientific Synonymy:Cyrtostachys lakka, Bentinckia renda, Areca erythropoda, Pinanga purpurea, Ptychosperma coccinea, Areca erythrocarpa, Pinanga rubricaulis
- Origin:Malaysia
- Taxonomy:Cyrtostachys renda (Arecaceae)
- Plant Type:Palm
- Description:Clustering palm with feather-like leaves.The brilliant red of the leaf sheath develops on even young palms a couple of feet tall. Growth is slow giving a number of years before the plants are too big for most situations.
- Origin:Indonesia, Sumatra
- Environment: Suitable for the exterior home, interior home or a greenhouse
- Foliage:Yes
- Flowering:Yes
- Leaf:Pinnate, Up to 10 stiff leaves, 3 to 4 feet long (0.9 to 1.2 m). 1 foot long (30 cm), red.
- Trunk:clustering Briliant red crownshaft, brownish green, ringed,
- SeasonYearly
- Fragrance: No
- Growing Ease:Requires a little extra care
- Temperature:60-850F, 16-290C
- Cold Hardiness Zone:11
- Humidity:High humidity
- Lighting Needs:Does best in low to bright indirect sunlight coming from the South/East/West
- Soil Type:A GOOD general purpose potting soil (a soil that retains water yet drains well) will suffice. Check purchased soil to see that it is well aerated and add sand or perlite and peat moss if it seems to pack too tightly. Give the plants a chance to settle in before going back to whatever fertilization program has been successful for you. If you want to mix your own take: 1 part garden soil, 1 part coarse sand or perlite, 1 part moist peat or humus (leaf mold) and a light dusting of lime. Always use a pot with a hole.
- Watering:Keep the soil evenly moist and if you use rainwater, be careful as it could be acidic. Use warm water.
- Fertilizer:Feed monthly with a water soluble fertilizer. An alternative is a granular slow release fertilizer if applied annually in the early spring.
- Plant Pests:Prone to scale and spider mites. Always inspect any new plant for pests before introducing it to your home or greenhouse.
- Propagation:Seeds at anytime. It is best to propagate seeds in a mixture of moist peat and perlite. Cover the pot and plant with a plastic bag secured by a rubber band to prevent the moisture from escaping. Place in indirect sunlight or under a fluorescent light. Repot in its regular mix after it has been growing for a while.
- Gardening Tips & Care:Grow this plant in a large container and occasionally clean the leaves with a damp cloth. This plant is particularly sensitive to cold drafts. If possible put outside for the summer in bright indirect light.
- Humidity:High humidity
- Humidity:High humidity
- Humidity:High humidity
Lipstick Palm Detailed Description
Article by National Tropical Botanical Garden
Lipstick palm, known by the scientific name Cyrtostachys renda, reaches 16 m in height and forms dense clusters, as multiple stems arise from the base. Stems are 5-14 cm in diameter. The leaves are compound, meaning that the leaf blade is divided into leaflets, which allows the leaves to be large (and therefore to have a large surface to intercept sunlight) without being too heavy. Each leaf contains around 50 leaflets, each of which is long and narrow can be up to 45 cm long. The leaf bases, forming the crownshaft, the stems, and the leaf stalks (petioles) are a bright red color. This species is monoecious, meaning that pollen and ovules are produced in separate flowers on the same tree. The flowers are found in clusters that are 60 cm long and that are visible beneath the green foliage. The fruit of this species are oblong in shape, up to 1 cm long, and are black with a scarlet base when mature.
(Widyatmolo, K. M.A. Burgman, E.Guhardja, J. Mogea, E. Walugo, and D. Setiadi. 2005. Population status, demography and habitat preferences of the threatened lipstick palm Cyrtostachys renda Blume in Kerumutan Reserve, Sumatra. Acta Oecologica 28: 107-118.)
Description by toptropicals
A stunning feather palm that develops a brilliantly red trunk. Palm is originally from Malaysia, but has been introduced to Costa Rica and other tropical areas of the world. Sealing Wax Palm seeds are very slow to germinate, up to a year. This palm will require a good overhead light, especially when grown indoors, and constant warmth. It's a very cold-sensitive plant and must be kept above 55F all the time. Soil should be rich, moist and loamy, and plant should be fed monthly with a commercial tropical plant food, or a plant food specifically formulated for palms. It's definitely worth an effort to grow this beauty!
Description by jaycjayc.com
Crytostachys renda (Red Sealing Wax Palm, Lipstick Palm, Rajah Palm)Considered one of the most colourful and exotic palm tree in the world, Crytostachys renda is such a marvelous sight to behold!
Standing tall and majestic in its erect and beautifully clustered trunks with vibrant red crownshafts and fabulous green feathery fronds, the Red Sealing Wax Palm will definitely add glamour and charm to ones garden or landscape.
We did enjoy its striking presence for quite many years in our small garden almost a decade ago, but had to give it up when we subsequently paved most of our front yard. No doubt about it being a traffic stopper then, and being ground-grown, it scaled to as high as 4.5 m and 1 m wide without much fuss.
Well, some things, especially plants, arent ours to claim forever, right? Were blessed though, that we can continue to marvel and enjoy the beauty of Lipstick Palm everyday, without needing to lift a finger, so to speak, as they are grown widely and popularly almost everywhere in our country. Native to Malaysia too, these stately palms simply love our tropical clime of rain, sunshine and humidity.
What makes the LIpstick Palm exceptional and outstanding from other palm trees is its bright and vivid red crownshafts and leafstalks.Its common names, Lipstick Palm and Red Sealing Wax Palm aptly denote these distinctive and resembling red-coloured features. A matured Lipstick Palm tree will produce suckers freely in abundance. Hence, itll form an impressive cluster of slender and upright trunks that appear naturally and wonderfully multi-leveled, as seen in the right photo. Trunks, beautifully ringed by leaf scars, start off green in colour, mature to orangy or brownish-green and eventually end up gray.
Atop the elegant trunks, at the leaf bases, are the striking red crownshafts in fabulous contrast with its luxuriant green foliage. Even the leaf stalks or petioles are a bright red color. Its pinnate fronds are stiff to arching, and leaflets (about 50 leaflets per leaf) that are slender and linear-shaped with pointed tips are closely and pleasantly arranged in feather-like form.
The curved inflorescence, borne at the base of the crownshafts on matured trees all year round, are branched and green, turning red gradually. It is monoecious, meaning flowers of both sexes are borne on the same tree. The inconspicuous flowers will develop into tiny oblong black fruits with scarlet base when ripe and turn into ovoid seeds.
Culture (Care): Crytostachys renda is such an easy plant to grow, care and maintain in the tropics. Light: Grows best in filtered sun or bright light, though can thrive in full sun to partial/full shade. The Lipstick Palm enjoys heat and high humidity. Moisture: Lots of water regularly. Native to coastal swamps, they are highly tolerant of flooding and can be grown in standing water. Soil: Best in rich, moist and loamy soils but adaptable to any well-drained soils. Others: If container-grown, remove some of the very young suckers to avoid congestion as the Lipstick Palm suckers generously. Recommended too that the cluster-size of ground-grown palms be controlled by trimming off excess suckers easier to remove them when very young, otherwise can be a handful. Clip off withered leaves with sharp shears, if within reach, to maintain tidiness. Monthly feeding with a balanced fertilizer is beneficial. This palm is generally free of serious pests or diseases.
Description by cactusisland.com.au
It wouldn't be right to start this blog with any other plant than the Lipstick Palm. This truly is our favourite! The Lipstick palm (or Red Sealing Wax Palm) is a stunning feather palm with a brilliantly, almost unbelievably vivid red trunk & crown shaft, found in lowland coastal swamps in SE Asia.
(It is also known as 'Cyrtostachys lakka', which has now been included under 'Cyrtostachys renda'.) Its a medium sized, to about 6m, clumping palm. One of the most spectacular and colourful tropical palms and extremely popular as garden and landscaping plant. Cyrtotachys renda is very cold sensitive and should not be grown in the garden outside the tropics, but I still recommend you give it a go if you aren't in the tropics. Find a nice warm place inside your home, or in a conservatory or glass house. Take it outside in summer & love it like it deserves. It makes for a wonderful and spectacular potted specimen for the house and patio (on warm days). It should not be exposed to temperatures under aprox 10 degrees, preferable above 20 degrees. In the tropics its very easy to grow, provided it gets lots of water and sun/overhead light. Soil should be rich, moist and loamy, and plants should be fed monthly with a tropical plant or palm fertilizer. Definitely worth the effort and a must for every palm lover/collector! Red Sealing Wax Palm recommendations: I recommend you soak them in some seaweed solution on arrival, for up to a couple of hours right before potting up. Water in with some Fungicide like Fongarid & leave to dry out for a couple of days, then water regularly. Keep in high humidity in bright light, but no full sun. Add some slow release fertiliser for tropical plants or palms, and keep up regular foliar sprays with seaweed solution.
Palm of The Month - Lipstick Palm
Article by Palm Doctor
Cyrtostachys renda (lakka): SEALING WAX PALM
The Wise Gardener's choice for MAY's BLUE RIBBON Palm is Cyrtostachys renda, or Sealing Wax Palm!! Your Wise Gardener did NOT have to think about this particular month's palm candidate more than a mere 4 minutes, to select it the winner!! The choice was rather easy, indeed!! The reasons are two-fold: UNUSUAL COLOUR, and EXOTIC FORM.
Feast your "palm-lovin' eyes" on the photograph at right and see this species fabulous attributes: the incredible RED colouration of its "lush" clumping trunks! Wowie! Yes, palm lovers, they are the colour of antiquities' sealing wax!
Some also refer to this lovely Zone 10-11 palm as the "lipstick palm" for obvious reasons! It requires much moisture and much dappled sun! (Its origin is the understory forests of Malaysia and Borneo.) Our specimen is planted on the eastern side of our house, next to the wall. Here it can feed off the latent heat radiated from the concrete exterior wall on the coldest of nights, thereby giving our "sheltered" red sealing wax palm a VERY beneficial micro-climate, approximating Zone 11-B!
An added bonus for our specimen is that it's planted within four feet of the home's A/C unit heat-pump, which releases warmer air (than the surrounding ambient air) from the condenser coil. This keeps a warmish breeze blowing around and through it, to keep any potential "frost" away from it! The result is a palm, subjected to no cold minimum winter evening temperatures, much below 45 degrees F.! This is a VERY HAPPY palm, at eight feet tall, (and four years old), that should not look anywhere as good as it does at our "semi-tropical rancho"! Remember, this is Zone 10!!!
Red is one of the rarest colourations in a palm trunk. The sealing wax palm is a king among the palms': "Royal Family"! Its beauty is without rival and one's pride in ownership of cyrtostachys renda NEVER wanes! Yes, sealing wax palm is more than worthy of Blue Ribbon Palm of the Month honours this MAY, 2000!
Usage of The Lipstick Palm
Article by Lisptickpalms.com
- Often grown in tropical regions for its pretty red color.
- Local communities in Sumatra eat the growing tip of the stem (palm heart).
- Screening in areas
- Great Focal Point
Status: Lipstick Palm (Red Sealing Wax Palm)
Article by National Tropical Botanical Garden
Cyrtostachys renda was listed as threatened by the IUCN in 1995 but was removed from the IUCN red list in 2000.
It is protected in Indonesia under legislation to protect threatened plant and animal species. In Sumatra lowland forests are being significantly reduced as a result of the development of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis), coconut (Cocos nucifera), and pineapple (Ananas comosus) plantations.The congeneric species Cyrtostachys kisu is native to the Solomon Islands where it is found in lowland to submontane rainforest. Threats to these habitat types such as conversion of forests for agriculture, mining, and for timber extraction may threaten the persistence of this species in the wild. Currently not enough is known about the distribution of this species and its abundance to assess the ongoing risks to this species.
