As most of you know, my family and I recently moved to a new city. It wasn’t the most exciting move in terms of distance or substantial change. Okay, there was some change, like the fact that we moved to another province and we bought a home and are no longer living in a big city. But we didn’t move very far and we still live in a Canadian city (albeit smaller) and we’re still going to have to deal with winters that are long and cold and packed with snow and basically depressing. So yes there’s been change but nothing earth shattering. And that’s that.

What did change in my life is the fact that I’ve added outdoor gardening to indoor gardening, which many of you that follow my Water Roots blog are already aware of. So it’s been botanically busy, to say the least.

But I’m not here to write about the outdoor garden.

I’m here to profile a plant that a visitor to my website requested awhile back. And although I’m having trouble these days keeping up with two websites, two styles of gardening and everything else in-between, I have not forgotten about this request. In fact, it would be pretty hard to do considering that the plant in question is one that I really like and wouldn’t mind introducing into my home at some point. Because the nice thing about my new home is that there is a little more space for plants and the plant I’m profiling would look good in front of my living room window or in my kitchen or maybe in my bedroom.

Speaking of moving, here are the indoor gardener’s thoughts on the moving process:

When a home is finally chosen, one of the first things an indoor gardener will do is determine where his/her plants will be placed. Sounds a little ridiculous when there are so many more important things to worry about, right? Wrong. To an indoor gardener who cares about the wellbeing of his/her plants, this is crucial. After all, when you move, your plants move. And if they’re relatively happy and comfortable where they are before the move, you want to make sure that they’re relatively happy and comfortable after the move. This is especially important for plants that an indoor gardener favours (in my case it would be my beloved Bromeliads). Basically, indoor gardeners want to make sure that their plants are comfortable in the new spaces they’ll occupy. If you’re an indoor gardener, all this makes sense to you. If it doesn’t make sense to you, you’re not an indoor gardener. And if you’re not an indoor gardener, what are you doing here? You probably don’t even like plants.

Anyway.

So then after every plant has moved and been placed in its new location, if there’s space for more plants, the indoor gardener will begin to wonder what else can be added in the new home he/she didn’t have or had never grown or had grown but didn’t grow anymore or had grown but had killed and would like to attempt to grow again. In my case this would be the Chamaedorea elegans, commonly-known as the ‘Parlor Palm’. It’s a plant that I have grown but don’t grow anymore, although I didn’t actually kill it. Not really. Let’s just say it mysteriously vanished one day and nobody’s talking.

Well.

Since we’re all here together and this is supposed to be a profile of the lovely Chamaedorea elegans and that’s why you’re still hanging around, let’s get on with it shall we?


Caring For The Parlor Palm

If you’ve never grown a palm and are interested in giving one a try, Chamaedorea elegans is certainly the one to start with. Originating from Mexico and Guatemala, this slow-growing plant is one of the most popular palms in the world. And although it’ll certainly take its time getting there, it can eventually reach a maximum height of anywhere between 4 – 6 feet.

(Additional information:

The growth rate of the Chamaedorea elegans is certainly debatable. Some sources of information will state that it grows slowly; others will state that is grows fast.

C. elegans ‘Bella’ or ‘Neanthe Bella’ is a compact variety that reaches a height of about 3 feet.)

Perhaps one of the most attractive features of Chamaedorea elegans is its ability to adapt to a variety of indoor settings and tolerate less than ideal conditions. But although it can survive slapdash care and different forms of plant abuse, it won’t look its best in that type of environment. So give it what it needs to thrive.

Chamaedorea elegans will adjust to medium and even low light if necessary but it performs best in bright, indirect light. In shadier locations, the fronds of the plant will be darker. And in brighter locations they’ll be lighter. Direct sunlight is not recommended, although I don’t believe that a little early or late afternoon sun will be much of a problem. I will suggest (strongly) that you protect this palm from the summer’s hot, midday sun.

Use a fast-draining, airy soil and always keep Chamaedorea elegans evenly moist during the summer. Allow it to dry a little during the cooler months, but never completely. It is important to learn to water properly because both over-watering and under-watering will upset this lovely palm. While it is normal for lower leaves to turn brown with age, if the browning occurs all over the place and is accompanied by rot, it is most likely due to too much water. Under-watering will cause fronds to yellow and leaf tips to brown.

(I have not grown a Chamaedorea elegans in hydroculture and therefore cannot give a personal opinion on how it would perform in that system. But I do believe it would adapt with little effort and thrive in a soilless medium.)

Another appealing feature of this palm is its ability to tolerate dry air better than most indoor plants. This is a wonderful houseplant characteristic since most homes are not always able to provide sufficient humidity. But Chamaedorea elegans will be much happier when there is more moisture in the air. Air that is too dry will stress the plant and lead to brown leaf tips and susceptibility to infestations, primarily spider mites, scale and mealybug. Increase humidity to keep the plant healthy and to deter pests from attacking. In addition, shower your Chamaedorea elegans regularly to keep it looking attractive and to prevent infestations. Remove faded fronds promptly.

Average household temperatures are fine; Chamaedorea elegans can tolerate temperatures down to 10°C (50°F) but prefers to be kept warm. Do not expose to chilly drafts that will cause cold damage. Feed once a month from spring to autumn. Do not feed in the winter.



Chamaedorea elegans deserves its reputation as one of the easiest palms to grow indoors because it’s remarkably easy to care for in a home or office. Don’t be reluctant to pick up one of these lovely plants. You’ll be glad you did.

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