11 Types of Indoor Palm Trees with Pictures and Care Guides
Some links in this post may be affiliate links
Palms are excellent indoor plants which add an exotic feel in any space. They come in a range of leaf types, sizes and growth habits.
Some palms like Kentia Palm (Howea fosteriana) have a cast-iron constitution as it easily adapts to indoor growing conditions.
Others like Parlour Palm (Chamaedorea elegans) are ideal for a bottle garden or terrarium due to their compact size.
Below is our list of 11 of the most popular palms that are ideal for growing indoors. Keep reading for the complete list.
11 Most Popular Palms for Indoors
Our choice of the most popular palms include Areca Palm, Bamboo Palm, Fishtail Palm, Dwarf Coconut Palm, Parlour Palm, Kentia Palm, Lady Palm, Pygmy Date Palm among others
1. Areca Palm (Dypsis lutescens)
Areca Palm also called Butterfly Palm or Golden Cane Palm is easy to care for which makes it one of the most popular of the indoor palms.
It bears yellowish cane-like stems and yellowish-green gracefully drooping leaflets which look like a butterfly hence the common name.
Butterfly Palm is a spectacular statement plant for the large spaces. It can grow to a height of 6-10 ft under good conditions. The fronds may reach 3 ft or more.
2. Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea erumpens)
Bamboo Palm is an easy care plant and a perfect focal point plant which adds a tropical elegance in any space as it can grow to a height of 6-10 ft.
It bears deep green broad leaflets and tall yellowish reed-like stems which look like bamboo canes when mature, hence the common name.
Chamaedorea erumpens has a high tolerance to shade and is ideal for the poorly-lit indoor spaces. It is also a good indoor air cleaner which gets rid of xylene, toulene, benzene, formaldehyde and trichloethylene.
3. Canary Island Date Palm (Phoenix canariensis)
Canary Island Date Palm also called Pineapple Palm is the natural symbol of the Canary Islands.
Pineapple Palm bears pinnate leaves with numerous leaflets on a stiff and straight rachis. The Palm is tolerant to soil variation and is moderately drought tolerant. It can grow in partial shade or full sun.
Phoenix canariensis grows best in bright, indirect light, warm and humid conditions and moderately moist, well drained soil that is rich in organic matter coupled with monthly feeding
4. Dwarf Coconut Palm (Syagrus weddelliana)
Dwarf Coconut Palm also called Weddell's Palm or Queen Palm is thought to be the most attractive of all the indoor palms.
However, Queen Palm does not have the hardiness of the popular palms and it is difficult to grow under room conditions.
Weddell's Palm is closely related to the coconut palm though it is much smaller and more cold tolerant.
Queen Palm is a single trunked palm with a small stature and produces edible fruits that resemble and taste like coconuts.
5. Fishtail Palm (Caryota mitis)
Fishtail Palm also called Clustering Fishtail Palm gets its name from the shape of the leaflets which look like fish tails.
Clustering Fishtail Palm bears lots of ragged-edged leaflets on arching fronds and clustered stems. It is an excellent focal point plant which clearly stands out in any space.
Caryota mitis prefers bright, indirect light away from direct sunlight and moderately moist, rich, well-drained soil coupled with monthly feeding during the growing season.
Learn more on how to grow and care for Fishtail Palm.
6. Kentia Palm (Howea forsteriana)
Kentia Palm also called Paradise Palm or Thatch Palm is an easy care palm and a favorite focal point plant on account of its high tolerance to shade, low humidity, infrequent watering and cool temperatures.
It bears feathery fronds which are divided into leaflets on either side of the midrib. The leaflets are soft and drooping.
Kentia Palm bears thin, slender multi-trunks which are dark-green when young and turn brown as they age. It can grow to to 8 ft tall under good indoor growing conditions.
7. Lady Palm (Rhapis excelsa)
Lady palm is a small-leaved palm with upright stems which produces fronds which are split into numerous fan-like segments radiating from a point at the base like a lady's fan hence the common name.
It grows in multi-stemmed clumps with glossy, evergreen leaves divided into broad, ribbed segments. The leaf segments are few in young plants and increase as the plant matures.
The leaf-edges are saw-toothed and occur on slender petioles. Lady palm is a good indoor air cleaner which gets rid of xylene, toulene, benzene, formaldehyde, trichloethylene and ammonia.
8. Parlour Palm (Chamaedorea elegans)
Parlour Palm is a short palm suitable for small spaces, bottle garden or terrarium. It has a high tolerance to low light and artificial light.
Parlour Palm produces a dense, deep green, feathery foliage on gracefully arching branches. It also produces tiny yellow flowers and small fruits, once grown and mature if grown under good light.
Chamaedorea elegans is a good indoor air cleaner which gets rid of xylene, toulene, benzene, formaldehyde, trichloethylene and ammonia.
9. Pygmy Date Palm (Phoenix roebelenii)
Pygmy Date Palm also called Dwarf Date Palm is a small sized slow-growing slender palm whose leaflets are very narrow, slightly drooping and grey-green in color.
The fronds develop off a stately central trunk. Dwarf Date Palm is highly resistant to pests, tolerant to a wide soil variation and is moderately drought tolerant.
Phoenix roebelenii flourishes in bright, indirect light away from direct sunlight, warm and humid conditions and moderately moist, fertile, well drained soil coupled with monthly feeding during the growing period.
Learn more on how to grow and care for Pygmy Date Palm
10. Reed Palm (Chamaedorea seifrizii)
Reed Palm also called Clustered-parlour-palm or Cane Palm is a graceful palm with a high tolerance to shade and is ideal as a statement plant on account of its size.
Reed Palm can grow to a height of 6-10 ft under good conditions with densely clumping cane-like stems and feathery fronds. However, it grows slowly and may take a few years to reach the average height of 6ft.
Chamaoderea seifrizii flourishes in bright, indirect light away from direct sunlight, average warmth and moderately moist, rich, well-drained soil coupled with monthly feeding.
Read more on how to grow and care for Reed Palm
11. Sentry Palm (Howea belmoreana)
Sentry Palm also called Curly Palm is relatively slow-growing, eventually growing up to 3-4 ft under good indoor growing conditions.
It produces fronds which are divided on either side of midrib into leaflets which are soft and drooping. The stems are thin and slender, are dark-green when young and turn brown as they age.
Sentry Palm is easy to grow and is an ideal focal point houseplant. It has a high tolerance to shade, low humidity, infrequent watering and cool temperatures.
Learn more on how to grow and care for Sentry Palm
You liked it? Share on social media.
Recommended
Amazon Associates Disclosure
Homeplantsguide.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.