Product Description:
The parlour palm (Chamaedorea elegans) is a compact indoor palm with attractive light green fronds. It’s been a popular house plant since Victorian times. The parlour palm is a low maintenance plant that’s tolerant of low light levels and dry air. It’s a good air purifier too, capable of filtering and purifying stagnant air. It’s very slow growing and may produce sprays of tiny yellow flowers, followed by black fruits, when mature. Parlour palm is not toxic to dogs or cats. Chamaedorea elegans, also known as the Neanthe Bella Parlor Palm, is one of our favorite true palms. Parlor Palms are native to subtropical and tropical regions of the Americas. With the right care and many, many repottings, the Parlor Palm can grow to well over six feet tall. But do not repot more than 2-3 years, as they don’t like their roots to be disturbed. Although in the same family as coconuts and dates, which produce edible fruit from flowers at the top of the plant, this plant produces inedible fruit from flowers at the base of the plant.
Light:
These are considered low light plant, but that doesn’t mean “no-light.” Parlor palms will do their best in bright, filtered sunlight. They often do well with northern exposure.
Soil
Indoors, any high-quality peat-based potting mix will suffice. Be careful not to let the mixture break down and become spongy. Outdoors, this palm will grow well in almost any soil—sand, loamy, or clay. But it does not tolerate salty soil.
Water:
Like many palms, parlor palms are sensitive to overwatering and cannot tolerate being waterlogged or sitting in a saturated potting mix. Ideally, keep moisture at an even level. Err on the side of slightly too dry rather than overwatering. Water when the top 1 inch of soil feels dry. Yellow fronds will indicate the plant needs more water.
Temperature and Humidity:
The parlor palm prefers room temperatures between 65 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. It can tolerate a low of 50 degrees Fahrenheit but will die if touched by frost. Keep it away from cold drafts near windows, vents, and outside doors. It will thrive with average humidity. If your palm begins to develop dry leaf margins or brown tips, it’s most likely caused by cold drafts or prolonged dry periods.2 To remedy this situation, raise the humidity levels before overwatering.
Fertilizer:
Feed with a weak liquid fertilizer once or twice during the growing season and not at all during the winter. These plants are light feeders.
Propagating Parlor Palm:
These plants are almost always propagated from seed by professional growers. It may be possible to divide a clump into two smaller clumps successfully, but this is not recommended because it will put the plant and its roots under too much stress. The plants aren’t clumping by nature but grown in clumps for aesthetic reasons. They cannot be propagated by stem cutting or leaf cutting. In general, it’s best for home growers to buy a new plant rather than attempt propagation.
Potting and Repotting:
Parlor palms have weak root systems and grow relatively slowly, meaning that repotting should only be done with care. In general, the plants stay a manageable size, so you shouldn’t have to repot it more than every other year. If your potting media breaks down and becomes mucky or sponge-like, then repot to prevent root rot.
