Lady palm care guide

The lady palm grows in a clump of thin, bamboo-like stems topped with glossy, fan-shaped leaves. It handles lower light and cooler rooms than most palms. It grows slow, lives long, and is safe for cats and dogs.

Light

Lady palms grow well in medium light, such as a spot near a north or east window. They handle lower light, but grow even slower.

Direct sun yellows and scorches the leaves.

Water

Water when the top 2 to 3 cm (1 in) of soil is dry. Water until it drains, then empty the saucer. In winter, it needs water less often.

Lady palms react to salts and fluoride in tap water. Brown tips are the sign. Rainwater or filtered water helps. Read how to tell if a houseplant is overwatered or underwatered.

Soil and potting

Use a well-draining houseplant mix.

It grows slow and likes a snug pot. Repot every three years or so in spring, one size up. See how to repot a houseplant step by step.

Humidity and temperature

Average room air is fine. Lady palms handle cool rooms, down to about 7°C (45°F), better than most palms. Keep them away from heat vents.

Feeding

Feed two or three times in spring and summer with a balanced liquid fertilizer at half strength. Too much fertilizer browns the tips.

Pruning

Cut fully brown leaves off at the base. Trim brown tips with clean scissors, following the leaf shape. Cut out old, bare stems at the soil to make room for new ones.

Propagation

Lady palms spread by underground stems that send up new shoots. In spring, ease the plant out of its pot and cut the clump into pieces, each with several stems and good roots. Pot each one up and keep it out of bright light while it settles.

Problems

What you see	Most likely cause
Brown leaf tips	Salts or fluoride in tap water, or dry soil
Yellow leaves	Too much sun, or too much water
Pale, bleached leaves	Direct sun
No new growth for months	Normal. It grows slow.
White bumps on stems	Scale

Pests

Scale and mealybugs are the most common pests. Check the stems and the undersides of the leaves. Spider mites can show up in dry air.

Pet safety

The ASPCA lists lady palm as non-toxic to cats and dogs.

Varieties

• Broadleaf lady palm, Rhapis excelsa, is the common houseplant.
• Slender lady palm, Rhapis humilis, has thinner stems and narrower leaves.
• Variegated lady palms, with cream-striped leaves, are prized in Japan and cost much more.