On the stems are fan-shaped, glossy green fronds with between five and eight narrow, lance-shaped segments.
This palm is tolerant of low-light conditions, which makes it a popular houseplant.
Indoors, it grows much smaller than outdoors, growing 6 to 15 feet tall.
The Spruce / Kara Riley
This palm has a relatively slow growth rate, gaining less than a foot in height yearly.
A north- or east-facing window is ideal.
A south- and west-facing window should have shades or curtains becauseunfiltered direct sunlightcan cause leaf burn.
The Spruce / Kara Riley
Soil
Soil with excellent drainage is essential for lady palms.
A potting mix made especially for palms works well, and African violet potting mix is also suitable.
Water
Lady palms haveaverage water needs.
The Spruce / Kara Riley
In the fall and winter, reducewatering to whenever the top 2 inches of soil feel dry.
This palm prefers a humidity level of 50% or higher.
Brown leaf tips often indicate the humidity is too low for the plant.
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Regularly mist your palm with water from a spray bottle to boost the humidity.
Fertilizer
Lady palms only need fertilization during the growing season.
From around April to September, feed your palm monthly withliquid houseplant fertilizerdiluted to half strength.
However, if an entire frond is discolored or dead, you may prune it off.
Mature lady palms grow clusters oroffsets at the base of the plant.
Initially, choose a pot thats slightly larger than the size of the root ball.
see to it it has ample drainage holes.
Plan to repotyour palm every other year in the spring into a slightly larger container.
Then, place the palm into its new container and fill around it with fresh potting mix.
Pack down the soil and water it well.
Common Pests & Plant Diseases
These plants generally dont have any serious pest or disease problems.
But watch out forscale,spider mites, andmealy bugs.
Lady palm is also susceptible to leaf spot diseases.
Common Problems
Iron deficiency is a common problem when lady ferns are grown as potted plants.
If the iron deficiency is severe, the entire plant will turn a light greenish-yellow color.
The best remedy is to repot the plant with fresh potting mix.
Remove as much old potting mix from around the plant roots when repotting as possible.
Fertilize the plant as described earlier.
Lady palm is one of the pricier palms because there is limited supply in the nursery trade.
The lady palm is not toxic to dogs or cats.
The mature palm produces small, pink ornamental inflorescence at the top of the canopy that are quite showy.
However, grown indoors, lady palm rarely blooms.
Lady palms can spread and multiply through rhizomes or underground stems.
Remove suckers regularly to avoid unwanted growth.
Rhapis excelsa: Lady Palm.
University of Florida Extension.
