Growing and caring for Chamaedorea elegans
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Don’t let the elegant look of the parlor palm fool you. This handsome houseplant with its feathery leaves is also perfect for beginners to grow. Best of all, the parlor palm thrives in low light indoors. If you’re on the hunt for a new tabletop or floor plant to bring color into your home, here’s how to grow parlor palm.
About Parlor Palm Plants
Parlor palms first became popular during the Victorian period because they were one of the few houseplants that could tolerate the low light and cool temperatures of unheated and heavily curtained 19th-century parlors. But well over 100 years later, parlor palm remain one of the most popular and widely grown houseplants thanks to their fetching foliage and easy-care vibe!
Hailing from the rainforests of southern Mexico and Guatemala, parlor palms naturally grow as understory plants, and they can be kept outdoors in shady spots in Zones 10 through 12. When grown in the garden, these mini palms can stretch up to 16 feet tall, and they occasionally produce berries and fragrant yellow or orange flowers. As houseplants, parlor palm usually grow between 1 and 6 feet tall, and they rarely bloom; however, indoor parlor palm still attract attention with their bright green leaves and slender, arching stems that add vertical interest to any room you grow them in.
If you love the tropical look of palms but don’t want the fuss, parlor palms are one of the best palm plants to try. Not only do these plants tolerate low light, but they also don’t need much humidity or fertilizer, and they’re usually pest-free. On top of that, parlor palm are purr-fectly safe for cats and dogs!
Growing
Parlor palms are long-lived houseplants that usually last for at least 10 to 20 years; however, these palms can live for 40 years or more with proper care! Ensuring your parlor palm receives the right balance of light, water, and nutrients is the best way to preserve its good looks and keep these easy-going plants around for many years to come.
Light
Although parlor palms grow best in bright, indirect sun, they can grow in low light, too. East- or north-facing windows tend to work best for these plants while south-facing windows and direct sun can scorch their leaves. If your home receives lots of bright light, position your parlor palm several feet away from your windows or install sheer curtains to filter out some of that bright sun!
Water
Parlor palms need to be watered regularly, but it’s important not to overdo it! These plants are prone to root rot in soggy soil, and they should only be watered when the top 1 to 2 inches of soil feels dry. If you’re not sure if your plant needs water or not, err on the side of under-watering, and be sure to dump excess water out of your plant’s saucer to keep your palm from sitting in water.
Fertilizer
Like other houseplants, parlor palms need fertilizer from time to time, but they don’t need a lot of it. For best results, feed these plants once or twice a year in spring and summer with an organic, liquid plant fertilizer diluted to half or quarter strength. Fish or kelp emulsion are particularly good for these plants, but parlor palm also love compost or worm casting tea!
Humidity
While parlor palms come from the tropics, they don’t need high humidity, and they’re perfectly content as long as indoor humidity levels stay above 40%. If your home gets very dry in winter, add a humidifier or pebble tray beneath your plant to raise humidity levels and keep palm fronds from developing brown edges. Keeping these plants away from drafty windows, heating units, and vents helps, too.
Seasonal Parlor Palm Care
Parlor palms need more water in spring and summer, and they should not be fertilized at all in winter. Some growers may choose to move their palms outdoors into a shady section of their garden in summer. Just keep in mind that parlor palm grow best when temperatures are between 65° and 80°F, and they should be moved back indoors before temperatures cool below 50°F!
Throughout the year, feel free to cut away yellow or damaged leaves to improve the look of your plant, but steer clear of any major pruning. Despite their multi-stemmed look, potted parlor plants are actually multiple single-stemmed plants growing in a single pot, and pruning the tops off your plant can prove fatal to your palm!
Propagation
Although parlor palms can be propagated from seeds or root division, propagating these plants is a challenge that’s best left to the professionals. The good news is that if you want a new parlor palm, they’re easy to find at most garden centers!
Parlor palms are closely related to several other types of palm plants that stay small, produce slender cane-like stems, and tolerate relatively cool temperatures. If you love the look of parlor palm, you may also enjoy these plants!
- Bamboo Palms: Also native to Mexico and Central America, bamboo palms are named for their segmented stems that look a lot like bamboo!
- Cat Palms: Although they grow slowly, cat palms get a bit bigger than parlor palms and max out at around 8 to 10 feet high indoors.
Pests/Diseases
Parlor palms are occasionally plagued by pests, but the most common issues that affect these plants stem from overwatering and excess sun!
- Pests, like scale, aphids, mealybugs, and whiteflies, are more likely to occur on outdoor palms than indoor plants. If you move your palm outside in summer, check it carefully for pests before bringing it back indoors, and treat any pests you find with an organic insecticidal soap or neem oil spray.
- Browning leaf tips usually develop when parlor palms receive too much light. However, these plants may also start to brown if they’re underwatered or if homes get too dry in winter.
- Overwatering is a common problem with parlor palm that causes plant leaves to turn yellow or brown. If plants are severely overwatered, they may develop fungal issues, like root rot or leaf spot, which should be addressed quickly if you want to save your plant!
Lauren Landers
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