Lady palm

Lady palm: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Clump-forming fan palm with several stems, about 2 m tall and 1 m wide indoors.

Foliage

Fan-shaped, glossy dark green, divided into 5–10 broad segments with blunt, toothed tips.

Stems

Slender stems covered in brown, fibrous leaf sheaths that look like a woven mat.

Flower

Rarely flowers indoors; in the wild it bears small, cream-coloured flowers in clusters among the leaves.

Growth

Slow: new leaves appear gradually, especially in low light.

Plants: April–May

Why grow it?

• Very low maintenance: slow growth, moderate watering and hardly any pruning.
• Tolerates light shade, so it also suits a room with little light, although it grows better with more light.
• Evergreen; forms a lush clump of graceful fan-shaped leaves.
• A cool winter at 10–15 °C is no problem: ideal for a hall or stairwell.
• A slow grower that keeps the same size for a long time, handy in a small space.

Lady palm: where does it grow best?

• Half shade to shade: a spot by the window with filtered light. It tolerates low light, but grows better in bright light without fierce sun.
• No fierce midday sun: the leaves would develop pale or brown patches.
• Humus-rich, light potting compost (palm compost) with good drainage, acid to neutral.
• Normal moisture; ideally 15–25 °C, cooler in winter (10–15 °C) and never below 5 °C.
• Allow room for a clump about 1 m wide.

Light

Bright, out of direct sun or low light

Potting soil

Multi-purpose compost or airy, humus-rich compost

Acidity

Acid or neutral

Watering

Moderately

Size

2 m tall, 1 m wide

Temperature

Minimum 5 °C

Goes well with

• Cast-iron plant: Just as tough, for a shady corner.
• Boston fern: A light, shaggy leaf shape beside the neat fans.
• Ivy: A trailing plant for cool, bright spots.

Lady palm: when and how to plant it?

Plant in April–May.

1. Repot in April–May, when growth begins.
2. Choose a sturdy, heavy pot 3–5 cm wider, with a drainage hole: the clump is top-heavy.
3. Use palm or potting compost with a little sand or perlite.
4. Set it at the same depth as before, without teasing out or trimming the roots.
5. Fill in, firm down and water until it runs out at the bottom.
6. Empty the saucer after a quarter of an hour and do not feed for 6–8 weeks.

Care

Water

Keep the compost moderately moist: water as soon as the top 2–3 cm are dry. Less in winter. Do not leave it standing in water.

Feeding

From April to September, a palm or foliage plant fertiliser every 4 weeks at half strength. Do not feed in winter.

Humidity

It tolerates ordinary room air, but brown tips often point to air that is too dry: mist now and then.

Repotting

Only when the pot is full of roots, every 3–4 years in spring. It grows well in a slightly tight pot.

Cleaning the leaves

Wipe the leaves with a damp cloth: this keeps them glossy and helps against spider mite.

Tip: Only repot when the pot is really full of roots, and rather wait a year too long: it grows well in a snug pot and suffers from root damage.

Lady palm: when to prune it?

When: It hardly needs pruning: only cut off completely brown fronds, at any time of year.

How:

• Cut a completely brown leaf off with clean scissors at the base of the leaf stalk.
• Trim brown tips following the shape of the leaf.
• Leave yellow leaves until they are brown.
• A dead stem is cut off at ground level.

Caution: Never cut into the crown: a stem that loses its top does not grow any more.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Division

In April–May: lift the clump out of the pot and divide it with a sharp knife into pieces with a few stems and roots each. Pot them up separately and keep them moist and sheltered.

Suckers

A young shoot with its own roots at the edge of the clump can be cut away in spring with a sharp knife and potted up separately.

Lady palm: how does it get through the winter?

• Not hardy: keep it indoors at 5 °C or more; a cool spot of 10–15 °C is ideal.
• Give it a bright spot without draughts.
• Water much less, only when the top 3–4 cm are dry, and do not feed.
• A cool, bright hall or stairwell is perfect.

Diseases and pests

• Brown tips: Air that is too dry, too little or too much water, or salts from lime and fertiliser. Use softer water, mist and feed less.
• Yellow leaves: Usually too wet. Let the compost dry out and check the drainage. Older leaves also turn yellow naturally.
• Spider mite: Fine webs and dull leaves in warm, dry air. Rinse with lukewarm water, mist and repeat weekly.
• Scale and mealybug: Brown shields or white fluff under the leaves. Wipe them off with a cloth and soapy water.
• Scorched leaves: Pale, brown patches caused by fierce sun. Move it into filtered light.

Through the year

• January: Rest. Cool and bright; little water.
• February: Rest. Check for spider mite and scale.
• March: Gradually water a little more.
• April: Repot if the pot is full of roots. Divide. Start feeding.
• May: Divide or repot. Feed every 4 weeks.
• June: Feed. No fierce sun.
• July: Feed. Water in warm weather.
• August: Feed. Watch for spider mite.
• September: Last feed.
• October: Water less. Move somewhere cooler.
• November: Rest. Do not feed.
• December: Rest. Cool and bright; little water.

Did you know?

• In Japan the lady palm has been grown for centuries; there are variegated forms that are highly prized as ornamentals.
• The stems are covered in brown fibres that look like a woven mat.
• It forms underground suckers (rhizomes), so the clump widens over the years.