indoor palms

What is anyone's experience with growing palms indoors? What are the best ones to buy. I see so many at the big box stores, but from the article in the newsletter a few weeks ago, they are usually not good to grow indoors. Actually, I would like to reread that article, but I deleted the newsletter and can't figure out how to find it on Dave's Garden website. Is there an archive or something I'm overlooking on this site? Help!

The Parlor Palm is one that is usually grown indoors: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1479/


I have a hard time remembering where to find the articles! I will go search and see if I can locate them. I do remember awhile back trying to save them to favorites but wasn't able to do so.

Ok ... I found it. Click on Guides & Imformation at the top of the screen. Then scroll down on the left and you will see Articles.

Here's the article on Indoor Palms: http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/303/

Thank you so much. I knew there had to be a way to retrieve old articles. Now I know how. I really appreciate it.

You are very welcome!

From someone who has *tried* to grow many, many different palms indoors, my top two choices are:
Chamaedorea metallica and Chamaedorea seifrizei. I VERY HIGHLY recommend them!

As easy as these two palms are, in my opinion they're hard to find, and I ended up getting the seifizei from a seller listed in a houseplant book, and my metallica from an online seller after I discovered the internet in 1999.
I have never seen either of them for sale at nurseries in my rural area.

I also have never seen any Howeas or Rhapis palms for sale in my area, and believe me, I've looked! (Ü)
oops....I did see one Rhapis palm for sale somewhere a few years ago, but it was upwards of $100, and my budget just isn't that sweet!
I got a couple from an ebay seller in the late 90's, and though I consider myself a pretty good and attentive houseplant mother, I could NOT grow them in my house, so I, myself, don't recommend them.

I do grow Chamaedorea elegans, but although it's touted as one of the easiest houseplants, I sometimes have trouble with it.

I'm also growing a Washingtonia filifera in front of my south window right now, and it's doing pretty well. I've had it about a year now.

Just adding that I also grow a Caryota mitis (fishtail palm) indoors.
It does 'OK', I guess, it gets some browning during the winter.
I don't think this would survive at my house during the winter if it weren't for it's summer outdoors!

This message was edited Jan 18, 2008 12:56 PM

My favorite palm is the Kentia, easy and beautiful but slow growing. My least favorite are majesty palms, yuck! They look good for awhile and are cheap but they usually start looking nasty in a few months.

Majesty is one of my favorites ... but I can't really call it a house plant as it never comes in the house. It is in a container on my screened pool deck. It has some browning and dry tips right now because it needs some water. I just ran out to take a photo ... excuse the mess ... a lot of plants have been crammed up against the South side of the deck and covered with old blankets cause we had a cold night last week. I need to get out there and clean but we are supposed to be cold again so I'm waiting on warmer weather.

Oh, man, Lin....I wish I could get/keep a Majesty palm looking like that one!
They are absolutely the WORST for indoors, though!

I saw a bunch at the HD about 70 miles from here a couple of years ago - twas a SEA of mealybugs!

The Phoenix Roebelenii is another favorite of mine except I hate spines on the fronds. I've never been able to grow this one indoors either ... have a potted one on my deck and a couple of small very slow growing ones in my yard!

This Pygmy Date Palm is actually 4 small plants in the pot. One of these days I will divide them. A couple are real small.

Thanks for the additional recommendations. I look forward to trying these in our sunroom. Seeing the photos of potted palms thriving in Florida while we have subzero temps here in Indiana sure makes me jealous!

OK. Here's the list of absolutely best palms for indoors. I've compiled this list from responses, websites, and books. The list is a result of comparing recommendations and eliminating any that don't have at least three sources agreeing. I have only the last right now, but intend to get them all by summer for my sunroom. Next year, I'll be able to give feedback on them. For those of you who are considering what palm to buy for indoors, all the sources practically guarantee that you will have success with any of the following:

Kentia (or Sentry) Palm (Howea forsterana)
Lady Palm (Rhapsis excelsa)
Parlor Palm (Chamaedorea elegans)
Fishtail Palm (Chamaedorea metallica)
Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea seifrizii)
Chinese Fan Palm (Livistonia chinensis)

A wealth of cultural information is easy with the web, of course, if you don't find all that you need at Dave's Garden.

Happy Growing!

Oops. I should distinguish between the MINIATURE Fishtale Palm (Chamaedorea metallica) and the regular Fishtale Palm (Caryota mitis), which is also recommended frequently. Lucky for Latin names to keep things organized.

I love Rhapis palms.

the problem with palms indoors, at least in my experience, is the pest factor. Most are spidermite magnets, and some get scale and or mealy bugs.
For that reason, I'll keep them only as long as they are pest free... once I start seeing spidermite activity, I get rid of them. It's just too much bother to keep after those little buggers.

To stogeo... Have you tried to just mist, or even hose down palms that get spider mites? I've always found that they hate that treatment and it will get rid of them easily. Not so with scale though, which is why I'm going to try the new systemic from Bayer called Tree & Shrub Insect Control. It's for outdoor plants, but I'm going to treat the potted plants when I put them out for the summer. Then, since it has a year-long effectiveness, I hope they will not get scale when they are indoors for the winter.

yes, jfchapin, I have tried misting with water, and that does help. I guess I just find it too much maintenance to keep misting on a regular basis. I do mist with alcohol when I see evidence of mite activity though.
I was recently told that palms don't take up systemic pesticides. I don't know if that goes for bamboo palms and like, or if just goes for the large palms. Let me know if you have luck with Bayer products. I've been curious about using that on house plants. When I've used it on outside plants, especially roses, it works just great.

stogeo, I'm hoping the Bayer works this summer. I'll be sure to let you know one way or another. Good news for the rose lovers!