Chamaedorea Elegans – Parlour Palm

The Parlour Palm was popular with the Victorians and remains a firm favourite. An elegant plant, easy to look after, with excellent air purifying qualities. They are undemanding in terms of light, water, temperature, humidity and feed, making them perfect for those of us that like low-maintenance room-mates.

Chamaedorea elegans has bright green leaves on slender, arching stems. The leaves are pinnate, meaning it has feathered leaflets arranged on either side of the stem. With the Parlour Palm, these leaflets form opposite pairs and there can be as many as 40 leaflets on each leaf. Small yellow flowers appear on mature plants if they have sufficient light. Chamaedorea elegans also has the Latin name Neanthe bella. Its common names are Parlour Palm and Dwarf Mountain Palm.

Horty Hints

Too much sun isn’t fun! If leaves are fading, bleaching or spotting, the palm is receiving too much direct light. Placing on an east or west-facing windowsill will provide it with the right level of light.

Reaching new heights! In the wild, the Chamaedorea elegans can grow up to 8 feet tall!

Make sure to water once the top few inches of soil feel dry. Avoid watering too frequently to stave off root rot.

Light

Chamaedorea elegans is shade tolerant, however brighter locations with plenty of indirect sunlight will help the Parlour Palm thrive and even encourage flowering.

Watering

Water your Parlour Palm once the soil begins to dry-out. Do not overwater and ensure the plant has proper drainage to prevent root rot developing.

Temperature

This plant thrives in average household temperatures: anything above 18°C, and needs a minimum of 10°C in winter and at night to ensure the plant does not suffer.

Humidity

Can tolerate some dry, indoor air, however increased humidity will help stave off brown leaf tips. Consider giving your palm the occasional misting with lukewarm water. This will also help keep the leaves dust-free.

Feed

Feed with a weak solution every few weeks during the growing season. Do not feed during the winter.

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Height & Growth Rate

Chamaedorea elegans is a slow growing palm which usually reaches an ultimate indoor height between 1 and 1.5 metres.

Toxicity

The Parlour Palm is non-toxic, therefore safe around small children and pets.

Air Purifying

This plant filters airborne toxins like benzene and formaldehyde and is part of our clean air plant collection.

Origin

Chamaedorea elegans is native to Mexico and Central America.

Please note: images show how this plant may look at various stages of maturity. The size you choose may look different.

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