Indoor Palm Trees Bring the Tropics to Your Home—How to Grow Them

There are around 2,600 species in 181 genera in the palm plant family (Arecaceae). Most palms look like what you think visualize when you think of a palm plant—leaves that are large, compound, and evergreen (Also known as fronds), arranged at the top of an unbranched stem. Palm trees are native to tropical and subtropical regions.

Besides serving as landscape trees in warm climates, palm trees make for interesting indoor trees. Different species of palm tree require different care and conditions to thrive, but regardless of species you won’t have to worry about it outgrowing the space. Palm trees grow slowly, often adding less than 10 inches of height a year.

Palm Tree Care

Here’s how to keep your indoor palm plant healthy:

• Put palm trees in a place that gets medium to bright indirect light.
• Plant indoor palms in a loose, well-drained potting mix.
• Water to keep your plant’s soil evenly moist but not soggy.
• Avoid exposing your palm to temperatures below 50 degrees.
• Fertilize indoor palms monthly during the growing season.

Light

One of the reasons palm plants are such common houseplants is that they can easily adapt to lower-light conditions. Most palms are tolerant of (or prefer) shade and may fail to thrive if they receive too much direct sunlight.

Low-light palm species prefer bright indirect light but also can tolerate less light, especially during the winter months.

Soil

The best soil for palm plants is a loose, well-drained potting mix, like a combination of peat moss, leaf mold, and shredded bark.

Many palms grow best in slightly sandy soils with ample drainage. You can buy a cactus or palm soil mixture specifically made for growing palm plants or use general-purpose potting soil.

Water

Water your indoor palm when the top inch or so of soil has dried out. Never let a palm sit in water, which can cause root rot and kill the plant. Consider planting your palm in a container made from terracotta or unglazed clay to wick away excess moisture.

Temperature and Humidity

As a general rule of thumb, palms prefer temperatures no lower than 50 degrees. Cold-hardy palms include the parlor palm and kentia palm, but even those varieties can only tolerate brief exposure to freezing temperatures.

Fertilizer

Feed your palm with a balanced liquid houseplant fertilizer diluted to half strength once per month during the growing season. You can also opt for a palm-specific fertilizer, which contains all the required micronutrients for a healthy palm, as well as extra potassium and manganese. Potassium deficiency is especially common in palms and can result in yellowing or brownish fronds.1

Types of Palm Trees

There are thousands of palm tree species, and some are better suited to indoor environments than others. Some of the most popular palm trees to grow indoors include:

• Chinese Fan Palm: This palm tree has star-shaped leaves and a slow-growing habit. Though mature Chinese fan palms can reach 15 feet tall, most Chinese fan palms used in homes are of dwarf varieties.
• Areca Palm: Also known as bamboo palm, areca palm trees have soft fronts and a tolerance for low light.
• Parlor Palm: Parlor palms have a reputation as some of the easiest indoor palm trees to care for. They need average light and require no special care beyond the occasional trim.
• Lady Palm: This palm is extremely tolerant of low-light conditions, making it a fantastic indoor plant. It can grow up to 6 feet tall and 4 feet wide indoors.
• Majesty Palm: A little more high-maintenance than some other palms, the majesty palm requires bright, indirect light and moist soil to thrive.

Pruning Palm Trees

Never top-trim a palm tree, as all palms grow from a central tip. If you remove the growing tip, the plant will die.2

It’s a very common mistake to over-prune palm trees, which can weaken the overall plant and rob it of valuable nutrients.3

How to Plant Indoor Palm Seeds

For most palms, air layering, cuttings, and division are typically not effective for propagating new trees. Usually, the best way to start a palm tree is from seed, which can be obtained through either a seed catalog or from a flowering tree.

1. Germinate the palm tree seed. Plant your seed in a container that’s at least 4 inches deep and covering it with a thin layer of soil.
2. Place the container in a warm, humid location. Keep the soil evenly moist while you wait for it to sprout. This may take two months or more.
3. Move plant. After germination, move the plant to a spot with more light. Feed it with diluted liquid fertilizer after a few months.
4. Use a larger container. Transplant the palm seedling into a larger container once it has grown several sets of leaves.

Potting and Repotting Palm Trees

Only repot a palm when it is completely pot-bound. Palms often have shallow root systems and do not like being disturbed.

If you want to keep your palm tree from growing too tall indoors, you can slow growth by keeping the plant slightly pot-bound. If you don’t repot your palm every year, it will grow at a more manageable rate.

Common Pests and Diseases

Like other houseplants, spider mites, mealybugs, and scale insects can affect your palm plant. Keep an eye out for telltale signs of infestation and treat the plant promptly using insecticidal soap or neem oil.

Common Problems With Palm Plants

Browning Tips

Indoor palms trees are often prone to potassium deficiency, signaled when the oldest leaves begin to die back, beginning with the tips.4

A controlled-release potassium supplement is the best treatment. However, browning tips over the whole plant can be caused by excessive fertilizing.

Yellow Leaves

Lack of light and overwatering are two of the most common causes of yellowing leaves on indoor palm plants. Check your plant’s conditions to determine the cause and make adjustments to its care.

Brown Spots on Leaves

Even brief exposure to cold temperatures can cause reddish-brown areas to appear on the leaves of an indoor palm tree.2

Keep plants away from cold drafts and maintain temperatures of at least 60 degrees in your space.