Parlor Palm
Chamadorea Elegans
Neanthebella Palms
Whether you call this plant by its scientific names, Chamadorea elegans, Neanthebella Palm, or by its nickname, Parlor Palm, this compact, dark green, indoor palm with long graceful fronds is a fabulous green friend that does well in almost all locations. A Parlor Palm can be small enough to use in a terrarium or tall enough to sit on the floor. In a 6” pot it makes a perfect table plant. When a Parlor Palm is planted in a 10” pot, it can grow up to 4ft. tall. Since these palms require very little care, it is the perfect plant for offices, businesses, and for less than optimal growing conditions in homes.
Light
Parlor Palms can grow in low lightWhen you select “Low Light” a list of the most adaptive plants in our database appears. These plants can live in lighting conditions too low to support any other plants in our database, but will grow faster in medium and high light. Variegation (color) in the leaves is often lost in low light. A plant in low light needs less water and fertilizer than the same plant in better light. Place a low-light plant within 2-3 ft. of a window with a northern exposure, 3-5 ft. of a window with an eastern exposure, 4-10 ft. of a window with a western exposure, and 10-18ft. of a window with a southern exposure. A low light area has between 50-150 ft. candles of light. The best low light house plants are: Chinese Evergreen, Dracaena Janet Craig, Peace Lily, Heart leaf Philodendron., but prefer medium indirect light. Avoid putting them in 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. and direct sun.
Water
Water a Parlor Palm well, and then allow the top 50% of the soil to dry out before watering again. When in doubt, do not water! Water even less during the winter when the plant is not actively growing. Brown leaf tips often indicate over watering, while yellow fronds tell you the plant needs a bit more water.
Fertilizer
Parlor Palms do not need much plant food. Fertilize monthly in the spring and summer with a balanced liquid 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.
diluted to 1/2 the recommended strength. Do not feed a Parlor Palm in the fall and winter.
Temperature
Basic home and office temperatures: 62°-82° F (16.7°-27.8°C).
Humidity
Parlor Palms prefer high humidity. Dry air encourages 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. to attack the plant.
Flowering
As a Parlor Palm matures, and under ideal growing conditions, it sometimes produces stalks of small inconsequential yellow flowers followed by seeds. These seeds cannot be used to propagate a new plant since they are not fertile. I always cut the stalk off as soon as it appears.
Pests
Parlor Palms attract 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. and mealybugs, but it is 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. that are most common, especially when the air is very dry during the winter. These annoying pests suck the color out of the fronds. An insecticidal soapInsecticidal Soap is defined as any of the potassium fatty acid soaps used to control many plant pests and diseases. This product is typically sprayed on plants in the same manner as other insecticides. It works only on direct contact with the pests. The fatty acids disrupt the structure and permeability of the insect cell membranes and the insect quickly dies. Soaps of this kind also work well on fungus infections such as botritis and leaf spot as well as on common houseplant pests such as spider mite and mealy bug. can be used to treat them.
Diseases
Parlor palms get fungal and bacterial diseases such as leaf spot and root rot. Most times these are caused by an over watering problem.
Soil
Use a basic indoor potting soil that retains water but still drains quickly. Once the soil breaks down and becomes heavy and water logged, it is time to replace it with fresh soil.
Pot Size
Parlor Palms like to be a little root bound so don't rush to put them into larger containers. There should always be drip holes in any pot you use.
Pruning
Remove only the parts of the plant that turn brown or yellow as soon as they appear. A parlor palm grows from a terminal bud. Cutting off this terminal bud will prevent new growth. Cut frond (leaves) only. Do not cut the stems.
Propagation
Parlor Palms are propagated by seeds, but it is a very difficult process, best left to the experts.
Clean Air Plant
Parlor Palms are considered Clean Air PlantsCertain houseplants clean the air of harmful chemicals. and remove harmful chemicals from the air.
Poisonous Plant Info
What is the very fine webbing on my Parlor Palm? Is this why the fronds are looking so pale in color?
The fine webbing on your Parlor Palm indicates the plant has 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.. To get rid of spider miteLearn 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. house Plant PestLearn how to identify and treat the plant pest called Whitefly at https://www.houseplant411.com/glossary/whitefly-plant-pestss, spray you entire palm with warm soapy water every 10 days for a month. If that doesn't solve the problem, use an insecticidel soap. Palm leaves are sensitive never use anything, such as the " green solutionIf you don't want to use a commercial chemical product to treat plant pest problems try the “Green Solution.” This is a mixture of water, alcohol, biodegradable liquid soap, and mineral oil. Always test any spray on one or two leaves to be sure it won’t damage the plant. Depending upon how severe the infestation is, you can use these ingredients in varying proportions. If there are only a few pests, dip a Q-tip in alcohol and gently swab them off. For a more widespread problem, start by using a spray of warm water mixed with a few tablespoons of biodegradable soap. If that doesn’t cure the problem, make a solution using 8oz. water & 8oz. alcohol, add two tablespoons of biodegradable soap and two tablespoons of mineral oil. Spray all areas of the plant. Use this solution on leathery leafed plants (except palms), never on fuzzy leafed plants like African Violets or Begonias. For palms, omit the alcohol from the Green Solution. Never spray a plant that’s sitting in the sun or one with very dry soil.
", that contains alcohol.
Why are entire fronds on my Parlor Palm suddenly turning yellow and dying? I am very careful about letting my plant get totally dried out before watering so I don't think I am over-watering. Does my palm need to be fed more often?
Your Parlor Palm is turning yellow because you are allowing the soil to get too dry. Try giving your plant a little more water and I think your yellow frond problem will go away.
What is the sticky white stuff all over the backs of the leaves of my Parlor palm and how to I get rid of it?
The white "sticky stuff" on your parlor palm leaves is a house Plant PestLearn how to identify and treat the plant pest called Whitefly at https://www.houseplant411.com/glossary/whitefly-plant-pests called Mealy BugsLearn how to identify and treat Mealy Bugs, a houseplant pest that leaves sticky, white, cottony residue on houseplants.. Dip a Q Tip in alcohol and carefully dab the white stuff off, then spray your entire Parlor Palm with warm soapy water. Be sure to spray inside the new growth and reach inside the stem coverings. If this doesn’t get rid of the mealy bugLearn how to identify and treat Mealy Bugs, a houseplant pest that leaves sticky, white, cottony residue on houseplants. infestation after three treatments, 10 days apart, use a commercial insecticidal soapInsecticidal Soap is defined as any of the potassium fatty acid soaps used to control many plant pests and diseases. This product is typically sprayed on plants in the same manner as other insecticides. It works only on direct contact with the pests. The fatty acids disrupt the structure and permeability of the insect cell membranes and the insect quickly dies. Soaps of this kind also work well on fungus infections such as botritis and leaf spot as well as on common houseplant pests such as spider mite and mealy bug..
Why are the tips of the leaves on my Parlor Palm are turning brown? My palm plant is in a pretty dark corner so I know the sun is not burning the leaves of the plant.
Brown tips on the ends of houseplant Palm fronds (leaves) are usually the result of too much water, too much plant food, too many chemicals in the water you are using, or using water that has passed through a water softener.
Facebook
Pinterest