Areca palm

Betel is chewed everywhere in the Solomon Islands – the nuts, with pepper leaf and lime, are sold at every market and roadside stall.

The areca palm is a slender palm reaching about 20 m, with a straight, ringed trunk and a crown of pinnate leaves. Its egg-sized fruits, borne in large bunches, contain hard seeds – betel nuts. Chewed with a leaf or fruit of the betel pepper and lime made from burnt shells, they act as a mild stimulant and stain the saliva blood red. Though socially widespread, the habit increases the risk of gum disease and mouth cancer.

Significance in the country

In the Solomon Islands betel is part of everyday hospitality and an important source of cash for farmers, who sell it at markets in Honiara and Auki. The capital’s authorities run campaigns against spitting the red juice in public places.

Where it grows

Grown near villages and in gardens on all inhabited islands; large quantities reach the markets of Honiara from Guadalcanal and Malaita.

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