Potted palm tree suggestions...

[teddytn]

I’ve been looking through everyone’s pics of their indoor palms. I’ve got some houseplants but we’re talking crassulas, dracena, pothos, some cactus. I’m clueless when it comes to the indoor palm game. What are some suggestions if I were to get a palm or 3? 

[Fusca]

Chamaedorea elegans is a pretty good choice for indoor culture and very easy to find.  Sometimes marketed as Neanthe bella or Parlor Palm.  These are solitary palms that are often sold in multiples at big box stores that can be separated into multiple plants.  I don't have much direct sun coming in my house but it doesn't seem to bother it.  They don't need much water either.  I'm trying a pot of Chamaedorea radicalis seedlings that I germinated this past year and they are doing fine indoors also, but not as easy to find.  Howea forsteriana is supposed to be an excellent indoor palm, but like others on here I have not had much success with them indoors and outside of Australia or California can be very expensive.  Rhapis excelsa is another palm that should do well inside and Lytocaryum weddellianum is another popular choice.  Other members on this forum in colder areas are growing many other different species using special grow lights but the ones that I mentioned do not need supplemental light if you have at least somewhat bright conditions.  I grew a Phoenix roebelenii in a container for about 18 years in Georgia and Tennessee before moving to an area where I could grow it outside, but I kept it outdoors most of the year.  Not exactly an ideal indoor palm with its spines, but an example of one that can grow indoors at least part of the year.

[teddytn]

15 minutes ago, Fusca said:

Chamaedorea elegans is a pretty good choice for indoor culture and very easy to find.  Sometimes marketed as Neanthe bella or Parlor Palm.  These are solitary palms that are often sold in multiples at big box stores that can be separated into multiple plants.  I don't have much direct sun coming in my house but it doesn't seem to bother it.  They don't need much water either.  I'm trying a pot of Chamaedorea radicalis seedlings that I germinated this past year and they are doing fine indoors also, but not as easy to find.  Howea forsteriana is supposed to be an excellent indoor palm, but like others on here I have not had much success with them indoors and outside of Australia or California can be very expensive.  Rhapis excelsa is another palm that should do well inside and Lytocaryum weddellianum is another popular choice.  Other members on this forum in colder areas are growing many other different species using special grow lights but the ones that I mentioned do not need supplemental light if you have at least somewhat bright conditions.  I grew a Phoenix roebelenii in a container for about 18 years in Georgia and Tennessee before moving to an area where I could grow it outside, but I kept it outdoors most of the year.  Not exactly an ideal indoor palm with its spines, but an example of one that can grow indoors at least part of the year.

I appreciate that! The room they’ll go in has pretty high ceilings and a south facing window. 

[Fusca]

Sounds like you've got plenty of room for larger specimens if that's what you are looking for.  Chamaedorea (elegans, seifrizii, metallica, etc.) can get quite tall but it would take many years to get there and not as attractive in my opinion at that stage.  Depending on where you're using it and the effect you want, maybe consider the Howea or Lytocaryum.  I'm sure you've seen this thread:

 

[teddytn]

56 minutes ago, Fusca said:

Sounds like you've got plenty of room for larger specimens if that's what you are looking for.  Chamaedorea (elegans, seifrizii, metallica, etc.) can get quite tall but it would take many years to get there and not as attractive in my opinion at that stage.  Depending on where you're using it and the effect you want, maybe consider the Howea or Lytocaryum.  I'm sure you've seen this thread:

 

Lytocaryum weddellianum look amazing, super slow growing indoors I’m guessing. No not familiar with it at all, need to start doing some homework for sure. Thank you for the suggestions!

[Philly J]

Here are some of mine which should be easily found at your nursery.  All doing amazingly at a combo of my house with vaulted ceilings, my office with grow lights, and outside my office a giant 2 storey atrium.  I move them around in the winter, which for us lasts from the beginning of October to the middle of May.  I can list all those species if you want.

[JohnAndSancho]

7 hours ago, teddytn said:

Lytocaryum weddellianum look amazing, super slow growing indoors I’m guessing. No not familiar with it at all, need to start doing some homework for sure. Thank you for the suggestions!

Nope. They grow fast if you put them in the right potting mix and water them often. 

[teddytn]

On 4/20/2021 at 3:33 PM, Philly J said:

Here are some of mine which should be easily found at your nursery.  All doing amazingly at a combo of my house with vaulted ceilings, my office with grow lights, and outside my office a giant 2 storey atrium.  I move them around in the winter, which for us lasts from the beginning of October to the middle of May.  I can list all those species if you want.

Actually yeah, what is the name of the triple next to the cabinet and blue curtain? That looks amazing!

[Philly J]

3 hours ago, teddytn said:

Actually yeah, what is the name of the triple next to the cabinet and blue curtain? That looks amazing!

Adonidia Merrillii, aka Christmas palm

[teddytn]

Here we go, this was totally by accident. I went to buy mulch and there just so happened to be a chamaerops humilis for sale...going to keep this guy potted indefinitely. One of the trunks rotted, if you would have seen the soil you would understand why. Pretty sure it got potted in pure compost, the mix was so soggy. I sprayed the whole rootball to remove all that soggy soil and when I potted it I used a mix of palm specific potting mix, gravel, and sand.

[teddytn]

Also ordered some seeds, Howea Belmoreana, and Cryosophila Guagara. These will be potted indefinitely as well

[JohnAndSancho]

My C. Cataractum does nothing but grow. I'm really proud of this one. Sits in a corner under an LED grow light. Really hard to overwater since they grow in river muck. I keep my apartment cold (65-70F). They're cheap, too. The internets say they grow slow, but man - mine is constantly throwing new leaves. Battled some kind of funk, I'm not sure if it was the mealybugs that came with one of my Kentia purchases or a fungal issue, but I cut the yellowing fronds off at the soil and squirted peroxide into the holes. Ended up literally putting on some disposable gloves and pulling the dead parts out with my hands and OOF all it does now is grow. 

 

Somewhere I've got pics of how it looked as an orange big box store mail order plant. It was a lot smaller last summer. 

[teddytn]

12 hours ago, JohnAndSancho said:

My C. Cataractum does nothing but grow. I'm really proud of this one. Sits in a corner under an LED grow light. Really hard to overwater since they grow in river muck. I keep my apartment cold (65-70F). They're cheap, too. The internets say they grow slow, but man - mine is constantly throwing new leaves. Battled some kind of funk, I'm not sure if it was the mealybugs that came with one of my Kentia purchases or a fungal issue, but I cut the yellowing fronds off at the soil and squirted peroxide into the holes. Ended up literally putting on some disposable gloves and pulling the dead parts out with my hands and OOF all it does now is grow. 

 

Somewhere I've got pics of how it looked as an orange big box store mail order plant. It was a lot smaller last summer. 

Looks super good. Something is always going to go weird with potted plants at some point. Got to play plant doctor lol

[Chester B]

I get terrible mealy bugs or scale on a lot of the "indoor palms".  Believe it or not I've had really good success with Canary Island date palms and Livistona chinensis inside.

[teddytn]

13 minutes ago, Chester B said:

I get terrible mealy bugs or scale on a lot of the "indoor palms".  Believe it or not I've had really good success with Canary Island date palms and Livistona chinensis inside.

Battling mealy bugs and fungus gnats myself right now.....

[Palmensammler]

16 hours ago, JohnAndSancho said:

My C. Cataractum does nothing but grow. I'm really proud of this one. Sits in a corner under an LED grow light. Really hard to overwater since they grow in river muck. I keep my apartment cold (65-70F). They're cheap, too. The internets say they grow slow, but man - mine is constantly throwing new leaves. Battled some kind of funk, I'm not sure if it was the mealybugs that came with one of my Kentia purchases or a fungal issue, but I cut the yellowing fronds off at the soil and squirted peroxide into the holes. Ended up literally putting on some disposable gloves and pulling the dead parts out with my hands and OOF all it does now is grow. 

 

Somewhere I've got pics of how it looked as an orange big box store mail order plant. It was a lot smaller last summer. 

You are a lucky guy. I lost all my C. Cataractum during this winter. Unfortunately here in Germany they are not available. Neither as plants nor as seeds. 

Eckhard 

[JohnAndSancho]

5 hours ago, teddytn said:

Battling mealy bugs and fungus gnats myself right now.....

Spray them down in the shower for the mealybugs. For the fungus gnats, add some kind of top dressing(sand caused me a lot of problems) and add some Mosquito Bits to your water. 

 

I spent a lot of money on insecticidal soap, beneficial nematodes, all kinds of crap. The soap still serves a purpose, I just bought entirely too much of it. I think I've got 7 bottles. Haven't needed to use it in months. Rookie mistakes. Live and learn. 

[JohnAndSancho]

4 hours ago, Palmensammler said:

You are a lucky guy. I lost all my C. Cataractum during this winter. Unfortunately here in Germany they are not available. Neither as plants nor as seeds. 

Eckhard 

Wow. They're cheap here. I've seen them for $10US

[teddytn]

1 hour ago, JohnAndSancho said:

Spray them down in the shower for the mealybugs. For the fungus gnats, add some kind of top dressing(sand caused me a lot of problems) and add some Mosquito Bits to your water. 

 

I spent a lot of money on insecticidal soap, beneficial nematodes, all kinds of crap. The soap still serves a purpose, I just bought entirely too much of it. I think I've got 7 bottles. Haven't needed to use it in months. Rookie mistakes. Live and learn. 

Everyone is a rookie until you go through something. Mealy bugs on the jade plant I’ve had for 10 years ain’t happenin! I’ve got them pretty much knocked out now, I purposely defoliated it and have been spraying almost daily with rubbing alcohol and yeah spraying in the shower. Been a war zone in my house lately. What do you think about the mosquito bits? I got 2 jars of it but haven’t used any yet. The gnats I’ve been putting these yellow sticky pads around and catching them.

[JohnAndSancho]

The mosquito bits will kill the larvae in your soil.  

 

I screwed up and bought the "dunks." Same concept, I just have to let them soak in the water for a day and mash them up. I'm sure the bits are easier. 

[lzorrito]

On 5/4/2021 at 8:56 PM, Palmensammler said:

You are a lucky guy. I lost all my C. Cataractum during this winter. Unfortunately here in Germany they are not available. Neither as plants nor as seeds. 

Eckhard 

See my PM.

[teddytn]

[teddytn]

Trying to get my potted palm game in order, slowly but surely. Thank all of you for your suggestions and help!

[JohnAndSancho]

13 minutes ago, teddytn said:

Trying to get my potted palm game in order, slowly but surely. Thank all of you for your suggestions and help!

They ain't fast but they're pretty. Mine has been steady even though it's kinda neglected, gets less water, etc. 

[JLM]

Bottle Palm, grows slow enough that you can keep it potted for years. 

[teddytn]

On 5/21/2021 at 10:28 PM, JLM said:

Bottle Palm, grows slow enough that you can keep it potted for years. 

Would that grow decent indoors for the winter?

[JLM]

1 hour ago, teddytn said:

Would that grow decent indoors for the winter?

Mine did fine this winter, but i kept it outside during warmer periods (>50F). It began pushing a spear over the winter that is now over a foot long. Make sure to keep watered and if you do end up getting one and leaving it inside all winter, make sure there is air flow.

[oasis371]

Teddynn, Lady palms are TERRIFIC palms for indoor or indoor/outdoor conditions.  Yours, looks like it can use a larger container already.  Their only concerns is that they do NOT have good drought resistance, so don't neglect waterings and 2, they don't appreciate hot sun. Mine spend the outdoor season (April-November) in an island of Hemlocks with very limited direct sun.

[teddytn]

13 hours ago, oasis371 said:

Teddynn, Lady palms are TERRIFIC palms for indoor or indoor/outdoor conditions.  Yours, looks like it can use a larger container already.  Their only concerns is that they do NOT have good drought resistance, so don't neglect waterings and 2, they don't appreciate hot sun. Mine spend the outdoor season (April-November) in an island of Hemlocks with very limited direct sun.

I did up pot it to a slightly bigger square pot when I got it home. I wasn’t aware of the non drought resistance thank you for that!!!

[oasis371]

Yeah, too often there is a one size fits all response to the watering of palm trees, but not all species appreciate the "let dry between waterings" advise.  In particular, Majesty Palms, and Cat Palms (Chamaedorea) and Rhapis do not like getting too dry. And then, there are those that wanna treat palms that grow in arid regions as cacti, not realizing that desert palms tap into underground aquifers, and ain't cacti! Actually, for palms, dry roots = dead roots. 

[teddytn]

New seeds just arrived from rarepalmseeds. A few waggies may stay potted indefinitely, I’ve always wanted to grow nannorrhops ritchiana, will bite the dust planted here so potted. Howea belmoreana and cryosophila guagara I’m going to give a go after reading suggestions posted here.