How to Grow Palms Indoors
Indoor palms are back in fashion, and with good reason. They’re easy to grow, they look good, and they suit just about every style of decor. But you can’t just grow any old palm inside and expect it to thrive. Some palms are better adapted than others to growing in low light and dry atmosphere.
The following palms can be grown indoors:
Kentia Palm (Howea forsteriana) – an attractive, slender palm with fine, dark green fronds. Popular but slow growing.
Lady Palm (Rhaphis spp.) – multi-stemmed clumping palms with beautiful fan-shaped leaves. Slow growing, but worth the wait.
Parlour Palm (Chamaedorea elegans) – a delicate small palm with fine, dark green fronds. Tolerates low light, low humidity and dry soil better than most other palms.
Golden Cane Palm (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens) – clumping palm with shortish arching fronds. Outdoors the stems are golden but indoors they are more likely to be light green.
Pygmy Date Palm (Phoenix roebelenii) – a small palm with very narrow, arching fronds.
Growing conditions for indoor palms:
- Bright indirect light
- Some humidity – mist the foliage regularly and don’t put them next to heaters/air conditioners
- Don’t over water, especially in cool weather
- Fertilise during warm weather – use slow release fertiliser or liquid feeds (seaweed fertiliser is good)
- Watch out for scale insects and mealy bugs
- Remove dead or scruffy leaves
- Take them outside in mild weather, if possible
VISIT THE ACS ONLINE E BOOKSTORE
- Quality ebooks written by our staff
- Wide range of Horticulture titles by John Mason, author of over 40 gardening books, garden magazine editor, nurseryman, landscaper and principal of ACS.
- Ebooks can be purchased online and downloaded straight away.
- Read on an ipad, computer, iphone, reader or similar device.
- New titles published every month –bookmark and revisit this site regularly
- Download sample pages for free, to see what each book is like.
Titles include:
EBOOKS by our John Mason (Principal)
More from ACS
Design gardens in a tropical style; for both tropical and temperate climates.
View eBook
Ebook - Identification and culture of palms and palm like plants
View eBook
Ebook - Expand your knowledge of tropical plants: how to use and care for them with this great text.
View eBook
Course - draw designs, survey sites, understand plants, soils, timbers, climate, and other landscape materials pivotal to the success of a good landscape design.
View Course
Course - Popular design certificate that has launched many enthusiastic and talented design students into the industry.
View Course