World Plants

Cyrtostachys renda (Red Sealing Wax Palm, Sealing-Wax Palm, Maharajah Palm, Lipstick Palm)

Family	Arecaceae
Genus	Cyrtostachys
Species	renda
Synonyms	Cyrtostachys lakka
Category	Perennials, Tropicals, Woody
Type	Shrub (evergreen)
Origin	Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra, and Borneo.

USDA Hardiness Zone	11
USDA Hardiness Ref.
Canadian Hardiness Zone	Requires cold season protection under glass.
Canada Hardiness Ref.
RHS Hardiness Zone	H1c
RHS Hardiness Ref.
Temperature (°C)	Above 4.5
Temperature (°F)	40
Height	12 m
Growth	Slow

General Description	A clumping palm, up to 12 m tall, with characteristically bright red leaf sheaths (each about 60 cm long) around the stems.
Landscape	Roadside palm, parks and gardens, hedge or screening, and focal plant.
Propagation	Propagate by seed or by division of suckers.
Cultivation	Plant in full sun to partial sun in a well-draining sandy soil. Allow soil to completely dry between waterings.
Notable Specimens	Royal Park Rajapruek, Mae Hia, Thailand.
Habitat	It grows near the sea, by tidal rivers, and in freshwater or peat swamp forests.
Bark/Stem Description	Crown shaft is distinctively red in colour.
Leaf Description	About 1.5 m long and 0.6 m wide, have bright red stalks and mid-ribs and are pinnate and alternately-arranged. Each leaf consists of leaflets that are boat-shaped, slightly grey on the underside and about 45 cm long and 4 cm wide.
Flower Description	Green before turning to red, with two large spathes (modified leaves) that are 60 cm by 60 cm. Flowers are pollinated by bees.
Fruit Description	18 mm fruit that is black when ripe, containing a 12 mm seed.