Areca catechu is a species of
palm which grows in much of the tropical
Pacific,
Asia, and parts of east
Africa. The palm is believed to have originated in the
Philippines, but is widespread in cultivation and is considered naturalized in southern
China (
Guangxi,
Hainan,
Yunnan),
Taiwan,
India,
Bangladesh, the
Maldives,
Sri Lanka,
Cambodia,
Laos,
Thailand,
Vietnam,
Malaysia,
Indonesia,
New Guinea, many of the islands in the
Pacific Ocean, and also in the
West Indies.