Chamaedorea elegansParlour Palm

Chamaedorea elegans has been the standard interior palm since the Victorian drawing rooms that gave it its common name. It is a slender understorey species from the rainforests of southern Mexico and Guatemala, rarely exceeding 2 metres, with fine pinnate fronds carried on thin green canes.

Its real distinction is tolerance of low light. It holds good colour in an atrium corner or a shaded court where nearly every other palm thins out and stretches.

Specifications

• Height1 to 2 metres, occasionally to 3 metres
• Width0.6 to 1 metre (crown spread)
• Native toSouthern Mexico and Guatemala
• FoliageFine, arching pinnate fronds in dark green on slender cane-like stems; evergreen
• Growth rateSlow

Conditions

• SoilPrefers moist, humus-rich, free-draining soil or potting media
• LightPartial to deep shade; scorches in direct sun
• WaterModerate; keep evenly moist and never let the rootball dry out
• ClimateThrives in tropical and humid subtropical conditions and in conditioned interiors

Additional Features

• FormClumping cane-like stems with a soft arching crown, well suited to grouped planting
• UsesInterior landscaping in lobbies and atria, shaded courtyards, planters and understorey groups
• SpacingPlant 0.6 to 1 metre apart, or group three to five stems to a container
• Low MaintenanceRemove spent fronds at the base; no trunk work is required
• Pest ResistanceWatch for spider mite and scale in dry conditioned air
• VersatilityUsed equally as a potted specimen, a massed interior groundwork and a shaded outdoor understorey

The Parlour Palm is the reliable answer for interior and deep-shade planting, holding condition where light is the limiting factor.