Easy Palm Safe for pets

Parlor Palm

Chamaedorea elegans

An elegant small Mexican palm with fine arching fronds, perfect for low-light interiors.

The essentials at a glance

Watering

Every 7 days
Light

Medium light
Humidity

50–70 %
Temperature

15–27 °C

How to care for your Parlor Palm

Everything you need to keep your Parlor Palm healthy: watering, light, humidity, feeding, repotting and pruning.

Chamaedorea elegans is a graceful small palm native to the humid tropical forests of Mexico and Guatemala, where it grows in the shaded understory. Its fine, elegant fronds form an airy and delicate silhouette that typically does not exceed 1.5 meters indoors. It is one of the most popular indoor palms in the world thanks to its remarkable tolerance of low light and care mistakes. Undemanding and non-toxic to animals, it is ideal for beginners and households with pets.

Watering your Parlor Palm

Every 7 days

Keep the substrate slightly moist without ever saturating it. Water when the top 2–3 cm of substrate is dry. Empty the saucer after watering. Reduce in winter.

How to know it needs water

Top 2–3 cm of substrate dry
Fronds beginning to droop slightly
Pot lighter than after watering

How much light a Parlor Palm needs

Medium light

Moderate to bright indirect light. Tolerates low light well, making it an ideal palm for less bright interiors. Avoid direct sun which scorches the fronds.

Direct sun tolerated: No direct sun
Orientations that suit it: North, North-east, East, North-west, West, South-east, South-west

Humidity and misting

50–70 %

Moderate to high (50–70%). Tolerates dry air but frond tips may brown. Mist the foliage regularly to maintain humidity and prevent browning of the frond tips. Especially important in winter with central heating.

Feeding and fertiliser

Every 30 days

Fertilize monthly from spring to autumn. Do not fertilize in winter. Excess fertilizer burns the sensitive roots.

Recommended feed: Liquid fertilizer for foliage plants or specialist palm fertilizer at the standard dose. · 5-2-4

Repotting your Parlor Palm

Every 24 months

Do not choose too large a pot (maximum 2–3 cm larger). Rich, well-draining substrate: potting mix, perlite, and a little bark. Do not damage the delicate roots. This palm dislikes being disturbed too often.

When: Spring
Potting mix: All-purpose potting mix
Mix in: perlite, pine bark, coco fibre

The tell-tale signs

Roots emerging from drainage holes
Substrate drying out very quickly after watering
Almost no growth for several months

Pruning your Parlor Palm

Cut only entirely yellow or brown fronds. Cut dead fronds as close to the base as possible with clean secateurs. Never cut the brown tips off green fronds — this causes further browning. Do not cut the apical bud.

Through the year

Watering is not set once and for all: it follows the light and the growth. Allow 11 days between waterings in the depth of winter, against 6 in the growing season.

11 J
9 F
7 M
6 A
6 M
6 J
6 J
6 A
7 S
8 O
9 N
11 D

Active growth · Days between waterings

Good to know

Chamaedorea elegans was the most popular indoor palm during the Victorian era — it was found in nearly every bourgeois parlor of the 19th century, hence its English name Parlor Palm.
It is one of the few palms that readily blooms indoors: it produces small clusters of yellow flowers resembling mimosa, even in low light conditions.

Frequently asked questions about the Parlor Palm

How do you care for a Parlor Palm?

Water it every 7 days. Give it medium light. Ideal humidity: 50–70 %. Ideal temperature: 15–27 °C. Keep the substrate slightly moist without ever saturating it. Water when the top 2–3 cm of substrate is dry. Empty the saucer after watering. Reduce in winter.

How often should you water a Parlor Palm?

Every 7 days Keep the substrate slightly moist without ever saturating it. Water when the top 2–3 cm of substrate is dry. Empty the saucer after watering. Reduce in winter. How to know it needs water : Top 2–3 cm of substrate dry ; Fronds beginning to droop slightly ; Pot lighter than after watering.

How much light does a Parlor Palm need?

Medium light Moderate to bright indirect light. Tolerates low light well, making it an ideal palm for less bright interiors. Avoid direct sun which scorches the fronds. No direct sun

Is the Parlor Palm toxic to cats and dogs?

No, the Parlor Palm is not listed as toxic to cats and dogs. That is still no reason to let your pets chew on it.

Why are my Parlor Palm leaves turning yellow?

Yellowing most often comes from too much water: the mix stays wet and the roots suffocate. Check that the pot drains, empty the saucer, and let the mix dry before watering again. Too little light or a cold draught cause the same symptom.

When should you repot a Parlor Palm?

Repot every 24 months, ideally in spring. Do not choose too large a pot (maximum 2–3 cm larger). Rich, well-draining substrate: potting mix, perlite, and a little bark. Do not damage the delicate roots. This palm dislikes being disturbed too often.