Golden Cane Palm

Question

I have a golden cane palm I have had for a long time now, in the same spot in the lounge room. It has grown really well, but I have noticed brown specks up the stems and also some raised bumps where the leaves grow from the stems. The bumps are green, like they’re made of the leaf, rather than something sitting on them. What is this problem, and am I doomed with indoor plants?

Answer 1

Your plant may have scale. Try pruning out the discolored leaves. Neem oil is an effective treatment for the scale issue. This article will help you with the scale: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/palms/sticky-palm-tree-leaves-treatment-for-palm-scale.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/pesticides/neem-oil-uses.htm

Answer 2

To make sure your plant has scale, try to scrape the bumps off the stems. If they come off, you’re probably looking at scale; if not, you probably have some other condition. You could remove a couple of the affected leaves and have the analyzed by a nearby university or state extension service, along with recommending a treatment. By the way, I’m not familiar with the name ‘golden cane palm.’ Could you send me a pic or description? I’m interested to know if it’s a new common name for something I’m already familiar with, or something new and wonderful. You can contact me through the forum. Thanks.