Majesty Palm
Ravenea Rivularis
Palms
I have to admit that majesty palms are not my favorite indoor plants. They are a challenge to take care of and are not very forgiving. Majesty palms, native to Madagascar, do extremely well in rain forests, swamps, or outdoors in places like Florida. Indoors majesty palms often struggle to survive and rarely do as well as a bamboo palms, neanthebella palms, kentia palms, or rhaphis palms. Majesty palms, or Ravenea Rivularis, are large inexpensive plants that look good when first purchased but often quickly decline. If you’re not easily frustrated and really want to test your plant skills, you might want to give a majesty palm a try.
Light
A Majesty palm needs very 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. at all times. One of the reasons the fronds turn yellow is that there is not enough light.
Water
The soil of a should be consistently moist but not soggy. Never let a majesty palm totally dry out or sit in water. Brown tips indicate the plant needs more water and yellow tips mean the plant has been over-watered.
Fertilizer
A majesty palm requires a great deal of 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.
. Not enough plant food is another reason the plant gets yellow leaves. Feed every two weeks when the plant is actively growing with a balanced plant food diluted to 1/2 the recommended strength.
Temperature
Majesty palms do well in temperatures between 45°F-85°F ( 7.2°C-29.4°C). Try to keep this palm away from cold drafts or heating vents.
Humidity
Majesty palms like high humidity, but grow well in basic household humidity.
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. are the main pest problem. Spray the fronds of a majesty palm with warm soapy water every few weeks to prevent them. If 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. do appear, treat the plant with Neem OilLearn about Neem Oil, a natural, organic, non-toxic product for treating houseplant insects and diseases. or 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..
Diseases
The high humidity that these plant like encourages bacterial and fungal infections. Keep the leaves dry and provide good air circulation around the plant.
Soil
Use a rich soil that drains quickly. If using a basic houseplant soil mix try adding some sand.
Pot Size
Majesty palms are usually found in 10" pots or larger.
Pruning
Fertilize about 7-10 days before you plan to prune the plant. This encourages new growth at the pruning site. Always use very sharp scissors or cutting shears when pruning any houseplant. Quickly prune any yellow fronds as well as any leaves that show signs of fungal or bacterial infection at the base of the frond stem. Prune fronds at the bottom of a palm plant to encourage growth at the top of the plant.
Propagation
Majesty palms are propagated from seeds. But since they are inexpensive to purchase, it's easier to let the experts handle propagationLearn how to propagate plants by plant division at https://www.houseplant411.com/glossary.
Poisonous Plant Info
I have a large (6ft tall and 3ft wide) Majesty Palm on my porch in a pot. It gets really cold here in the winter (Illinois). Can I store my Majesty Palm in my heated garage for the winter?
Unless your garage has a lot of windows with a Southern exposure, you can't store your Majesty Palm in a garage for the winter. Majesty Palms must have 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. throughout most of the day.
I just bought my first plant, a huge Majesty Palm for only $10.00!! I have a water softener. Can I use water that passes through a water softener to water my Majesty Palm?
You should never use water that passes through a water softener on any of your houseplants, especially Palms. Water from a softener contains a great deal of salt that damages plant leaves. A Majesty Palm may not be the right choice as a “first plant.” Majesty Palms require quite a bit of care. Don’t get discouraged if your palm doesn’t do well just try a hardier houseplant next time.
Why are the tips of the leaves on my Majesty Palm Tree turning brown?
Leaf tippage on a Majesty Palm can be caused by many things: not enough humidity, insufficient magnesium in the 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.
, too much or not enough water, direct rather than 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., or simply because it's a Majesty Palm and it's not really supposed to be an indoor plant.
Why are the fronds (leaves) on my indoor Palm tree houseplants turning yellow?
The fronds of a Majesty Palm turn yellow for many reasons: not enough light, not enough water, or not enough 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.
. Unlike most houseplants, a Majesty Palm requires an excessive amount of all three.
Why can’t I use the Green Solution you talk about in the Glossary to get rid of Spider Mites on my Palms?
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 I recommend for treating house Plant PestLearn how to identify and treat the plant pest called Whitefly at https://www.houseplant411.com/glossary/whitefly-plant-pestss contains alcohol. Alcohol burns and discolors the leaves of Palm Trees. Spray warm soapy water on the fronds of your palm Trees to help prevent 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.. Use Neem OilLearn about Neem Oil, a natural, organic, non-toxic product for treating houseplant insects and diseases. on your Palm Trees to get rid of the 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. if your Palm Trees becomes infested.
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