Meet a Palm That's Fine With Fluorescent Light

Palms seem to be everywhere in interior design, but don't be deceived: Only a few make great houseplants. One of those worth getting to know is the parlor palm, Chamaedorea elegans, an easy-care variety that adapts to the average indoor conditions that can mean death for some of its cousins. With dark green arched fronds and long, blade-like leaves, parlor palm tolerates a lack of light and low humidity, making it a great addition to your office, parlor — or both.

Parlor palm was a favorite in English Victorian-era homes, where it helped relieve the drabness of winter days and the darkness of rooms with heavy draperies drawn to prevent sun damage to precious decor. Parlor palms were displayed on tall ornamental stands or placed on the floor in multiples to divide a space.

Today's busy homeowners often look for low-maintenance and hardy plants, and easygoing parlor palm is popular for its abhorrence of bright light and too much water. It's happy to get all of its light from fluorescent bulbs.


Although parlor palm will tolerate dry indoor air, it will be healthier with higher humidity. Mist your plant a few times a week with room-temperature water, which will also keep the leaves clean and help to prevent spider mites, who happen to be parlor palm fans as well.

Given enough light, a mature plant may produce tall stalks with sprays of small yellow flowers. Cut the flowers off when they begin to turn brown or you will have seeds all over the place, which are annoying and possibly a hazard if small children or pets roam the floor. (The seeds are rarely fertile, so don't bother saving them.)



A corner window might seem like the ideal spot for a plant, but that's not necessarily true for parlor palm. Windows can be a source of cold drafts as well as direct sunlight, both of which are not favored by this plant; it prefers warmth and indirect light.

Tip: To determine if the light intensity is too great for your parlor palm, do the shadow trick. If the plant casts a shadow when the light is the most intense, then the location should be fine.


Parlor palms are prone to infestation, especially on the new leaf shoots that regularly sprout from a happy plant. If tiny white spots appear on a closed frond, moisten a soft tissue with water and a dab of rubbing alcohol and firmly wipe it along the length of the shoot, from root base to tip. Wipe again with a tissue dampened with plain water, and cross your fingers that you've caught the problem in time.


While some houseplants enjoy spending time outside in summer, parlor palm prefers to remain in the same warm and shady spot indoors year-round.

As your parlor palm grows, its roots will become pot bound. You can repot it in a larger pot or divide it to make several new plants. (Division can damage the plant, so if it happens to be a favorite, this may not be the experiment for you.)

Propagation via division:

It takes only a few minutes to divide parlor palm, using a few household items.

1. Remove the root-bound clump of palm from the pot.
2. Use a garden hose or sink nozzle to loosen the dirt packed around the root clump.
3. Gently pull the root mass apart by starting at the bottom, and try not to tear too many roots, though breakage will happen. Use a knife to sever denser roots.
4. Pot the divisions in well-draining soil, and keep the soil slightly moist at all times to help the palms recover and promote rooting.

Dividing causes shock to the plant and some dieback will occur. Simply remove the dead stems and leaves, and the plant should recover within several weeks to a few months. Don't fertilize until the new plants become established.


The proportions and size of the parlor palm make it the perfect plant for a tall, slim container tucked into a corner.

How to care for parlor palm:

Height: Fully mature plants may reach 3 to 4 feet, though most are slow growing.

Temperature: Normal to warm room temperatures (65 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit; 18 to 27 degrees Celsius).

Light: Low to moderately bright. Yellowish-green leaves may be a sign of too much sun.

Water: Keep the soil slightly moist. Provide good drainage, as soggy soil can cause root rot. Let the soil mostly dry out before watering; underwatering is preferable to overwatering.

Soil: Loamy well-draining soil is imperative to prevent root rot.

Feeding: Requires more fertilizer than most palms. Feed monthly in spring and summer with a 10-10-10 liquid fertilizer, and every two months in the fall and winter.

Humidity: Tolerates low humidity, though it will thrive with higher humidity. Mist the foliage regularly with room-temperature water.

Repotting: Likes to be crowded, so don't repot until the roots fill the pot — preferably in the spring.

Propagation: You can make new plants by dividing the root clumps. Don't fertilize for a month or two, until the new plants become established.

Pruning: Trim old and faded branches near the base of the plant to keep it looking neat and trim, but do not prune.

Toxicity: Nontoxic.

Origin: Native to rain forests in southern Mexico and Guatemala.

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