Sealing Wax Palm

Common Name: Sealing Wax Palm

Scientific Name: Cyrtostachys renda

Origin: Indonesia

Family: Arecaceae

Bloom time: Summer

Listed in 1995 as "vulnerable," to extinction the sealing wax palm, or lipstick palm, is native to the swamp forests of Borneo, Thailand, Sumatra and Malaysia. It was removed from the list of protected plant species in 2000.

Though not the source of sealing wax, it is named for its distinct red crownshafts and leaf sheaths that are similar in color to the wax used to close envelopes since the 16th century. In native communities, Cyrtostachys renda has been used for flooring and roofing.

Green-white flowers bloom in summer, followed by black fruits.