Light: Bright light is ideal for all palms as they are from a bright part of the world. To avoid light-colored, stretched-out growth, place your palm in a south or west window. In winter months, you will see slowed growth with a great decrease in light availability.

Temperature: 60-90 F

Humidity: medium

Palms struggle with leaf tip burn if kept in too dry a climate. They also tend to have spider mite issues which is exasperated by dry air.

Water: Palms can handle a range of water levels because of their girthy stems that store water. Palms are native to tropical and subtropical reasons, so they will show the most active growth with regular moisture support. However, they can tolerate dry periods well!

One thing is certain, they hate soggy soil like most houseplants. Avoid overwatering by making sure the top 2” of potting mix dries before watering again.

Repotting: Repot every 2-3 years into a slightly larger container (1-2” increased diameter or depth). Use a general purpose potting mix.

Fertilizing: Either…

1. Water Application: Incorporate fertilizer into your watering cycle once per month March through September. Dilute an all purpose fertilizer (20-20-20) by half OR use your favorite fertilizer rated for houseplant use in your water.

2. Slow Release: Incorporate slow release fertilizer pellets into the top inch of potting soil every 6 months. Apply the rate indicated for indoor plants on the label. If no recommendation for houseplants is present, apply 1/4 to 1/2 the listed rate.

The palm family houses all kinds of diversity including the following favorites:

• Fishtail Palm (Caryota)

• Foxtail Palm (Wodyetia)

• Parlor Palm (Chamaedorea)

People often confuse the cycads (order Cycadales) with palms. Cycads differ from palms because they reproduce with exposed seed like evergreens. They are gymnosperms! A common example you would think of is sago palm (Cycas revoluta).

Another popular houseplant that is confused with the true palms is ponytail palm (Beaucarnia). In reality, the ponytail palm is in the Asparagaceae family!

(Listed in order of commonality…)

• Spider mites

• Root and trunk decay caused by overwatering

• Soft, stretching growth due to low light stress

• Crispy leaf tips due to dry air or under watering

• Fungus gnats

• Thrips

• Mealybugs

Are palms pet safe?

True palms in the Arecaceae family are safe for animals, but their look-alike cycads are extremely toxic. Read the relatives section. Make sure you know your plant’s classification!