How to Grow a Cat Palm - Cataract Palm - Care Guide

Cat Palm

Chamaedorea cataractarum

Cataract Palms

The cat palm, also called the cascade or cataract palm is native to southeastern Mexico and resembles the inexpensive areca palm and the very pricey kentia palm. Indoors the plant grows slowly, eventually reaching a height of 4-6ft. Although this plant looks beautiful in the plant nursery, it often deteriorates once you bring it home. It requires a very tropical environment; bright indirect lightVery few houseplants should be placed in direct sun. High light refers only to bright indirect light since direct sun often burns the leaves of indoor houseplants. An area that is too hot and dry encourages Spider Mites and causes blooms to quickly fade. A northern exposure really doesn't provide enough light for high light plants. These plants need to be placed directly in front of an east-facing window, within 1-3 feet of a west-facing window, and within 5 ft. of a south facing window. A high light area has over 300 ft. candles of light. and plenty of water. This is a very attractive plant that produces glossy, dark green leaves on thin shoots, but it is a challenging plant that needs attention.

CAT PALM (CATARACT PALM)

Light

Cat palms need bright indirect lightVery few houseplants should be placed in direct sun. High light refers only to bright indirect light since direct sun often burns the leaves of indoor houseplants. An area that is too hot and dry encourages Spider Mites and causes blooms to quickly fade. A northern exposure really doesn't provide enough light for high light plants. These plants need to be placed directly in front of an east-facing window, within 1-3 feet of a west-facing window, and within 5 ft. of a south facing window. A high light area has over 300 ft. candles of light. but no direct sun.

Water

Cat palms like moist but not soggy soil at all times. Fronds turn yellow if the soil gets too dry. Salty water or water containing chemicals such as fluoride causes leaf tip burn; over watering causes entire fronds to turn brown.

Fertilizer

Less rather than more plant food is always better with palms. Feed a cat palm monthly is the spring and summer with a balanced houseplant food diluted to 1/2 the recommended strength. Cat palms only need fertilizerPlants need fertilizer only when they are actively growing. Slow growing plants in low light require very little plant food. Too much fertilizer is worse than not enough. Most plants prefer a water soluble plant food at 1/2 the recommended strength. Plants that are in bloom or dormant should not be fertilized. Houseplant food contains nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). A fertilizer containing these elements in equal proportion is considered a balanced plant food. Nitrogen helps in photosynthesis and encourages the growth of leaves and stems. Potassium and phosphorus also help in photosynthesis and aid in root and flower development. Most fertilizers have trace elements of other minerals that are lacking in the soil but are necessary for good plant growth. Fertilizers have a high salt content. If a plant is not producing new leaves and doesn’t absorb the fertilizer, salts build up in the soil. These salts can burn the roots, discolor the leaves, and cause new growth to be small. once or twice during winter and fall.

Temperature

Palms like heat but too much dry heat causes leaf damage. Avoid placing palms in drafts, in front of heaters or air conditioners, or in unheated rooms during the winter. The ideal temperatures are 80°F (26.7°C) during the day and no lower than 45°F (7.2°C) at night.

Humidity

Lack of sufficient humidity is another reason cat palms develop brown tips. Ideally the room should have about 55% humidity, but this is rarely the case. You can place a humidifier in the room or place the palm on a wet gravel tray; just be sure the plant sits on the gravel and not in the water.

Pests

spider mitesLearn how to identify and treat Spider Mites on plants. This sucking plant pest causes yellow blotchy leaves with a red haze and a gritty feel to them., scaleSoft Brown Scale is the most common scale that attacks indoor houseplants especially ficus, ivy, spider plants, ferns, aralia, and schefflera. It appears as small bumpy brown spots that appear to move. As the scale sucks on the sap of the plant it secretes a sticky substance called honeydew. The honeydew attracts black mildew. Because of the shell-like exterior, sprays are only partially effective against scale. Wipe off the lines of brown oval bumps with your finger, a cloth, or a child’s toothbrush then spray the plant with Neem Oil. Use the Green Solution to clean off the black mildew., Mealy BugsLearn how to identify and treat Mealy Bugs, a houseplant pest that leaves sticky, white, cottony residue on houseplants., and ants can all be a problem.

Diseases

Helminthosporium, or leaf spot is a fungal disease that affects the leaves of a cat palm. It appears as a reddish-brown lesion between one-eighth to one-fourth inches in length.

Soil

The cat palm requires a potting soil that drains quickly. Try adding peat moss to your regular potting soil to keep the soil light rather than heavy and clay-like.

Pot Size

Palm plants like to be root- bound. Do not re-pot a cat palm until the roots have started to grow out of the bottom of the pot.

Pruning

Cut off yellow or brown fronds quickly. Brown leaf tips can be trimmed but the fronds never look quite right after being trimmed.

Propagation

Palms are propagated by seeds and propagationLearn how to propagate plants by plant division at https://www.houseplant411.com/glossary is best left to the professionals.

Clean Air Plant

Most palm plants clean the air of harmful chemicals.

Poisonous Plant Info

Cat palms are non- poisonousPlants are a great addition to homes and offices, but it’s important to know whether your plants are dangerous to children, pets, or even adults. Some plants contain chemicals such as oxalates, solanine, glycosides, or alkaloid lycorine that may cause vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, swelling and redness of the mouth, throat, and lips, and trouble breathing. Touching parts of certain plants, especially the sap, may cause various skin irritations. The weight and age of the human or pet involved, and the part and amount of plant eaten determine how severe the reaction to the toxins will be. Although plants may be listed as non-toxic, they can still cause individual allergic reactions. If there is any question after a houseplant has been ingested or touched immediately call the Poison Control Center 1-800-222-1222 The Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants [Paperback]is an excellent reference to keep around if you have young children and pets.

I bought a Cat Palm and it was pretty tall so I repotted it as soon as brought it home. It's about three weeks now and the plant looks awful. What should I do?

You should never repot a palm until its roots are starting to come of the pot it's currently in. These plants really like to be root bound. I'd put it back into its original small pot, keep it moist but not soggy, and place it in good indirect bright lightVery few houseplants should be placed in direct sun. High light refers only to bright indirect light since direct sun often burns the leaves of indoor houseplants. An area that is too hot and dry encourages Spider Mites and causes blooms to quickly fade. A northern exposure really doesn't provide enough light for high light plants. These plants need to be placed directly in front of an east-facing window, within 1-3 feet of a west-facing window, and within 5 ft. of a south facing window. A high light area has over 300 ft. candles of light.. It should start to recover.

I know Cat Palms don't like much plant food, but how do I know when to feed it?

Plants like to be fed when they are actively growing in the spring and summer. When you do feed a palm be sure to dilute the food to 1/2 the recommended strength and only feed once a month. If the fronds start to turn yellow, this may indicate that the plant needs more nitrogen, magnesium, or potassium.

Why are the tips of the fronds on my Cat Palm turning brown?

There are several possible causes: Too much salt or fluoride in the water you are using, or too much fertilizerPlants need fertilizer only when they are actively growing. Slow growing plants in low light require very little plant food. Too much fertilizer is worse than not enough. Most plants prefer a water soluble plant food at 1/2 the recommended strength. Plants that are in bloom or dormant should not be fertilized. Houseplant food contains nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). A fertilizer containing these elements in equal proportion is considered a balanced plant food. Nitrogen helps in photosynthesis and encourages the growth of leaves and stems. Potassium and phosphorus also help in photosynthesis and aid in root and flower development. Most fertilizers have trace elements of other minerals that are lacking in the soil but are necessary for good plant growth. Fertilizers have a high salt content. If a plant is not producing new leaves and doesn’t absorb the fertilizer, salts build up in the soil. These salts can burn the roots, discolor the leaves, and cause new growth to be small. in the soil. Low humidity coupled with minerals in the water can also cause tip burn.