Lady Palm Care

Lady Palm is a dramatic, tall house plant that is easy to grow. Give one a place with bright, indirect sunlight and you’ll enjoy it for many years. You can fit this palm in just about anywhere — its fronds don’t branch out widely, so it only takes up vertical space in a room.

Fronds grow in a fan pattern, each consisting of deeply veined leaflets that grow up to 12 inches (30 cm) long and 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide. You’ll find that the number of leaflets on each stem will vary — typically 5 to 10 — but that just adds to this beautiful palm’s appeal. In fact, I’ve never seen two Lady Palms exactly alike.

A member of the palm family, this elegant-looking plant grows in a clump of woody, upright stems. As the lower leaves fall off, they leave scars on the stems, creating an attractive bamboo-like appearance.

Keep it moist. Palms are not desert plants. Aim to keep the soil evenly moist, but not soggy, during the growing season. Mist the foliage daily or use a room humidifier if the air is dry. Brown leaf tips are caused by irregular watering and dry air. Snip off the brown tips with scissors, if you want. Keep soil evenly moist in spring and summer. In winter, allow the top 1 in (2.5 cm) to dry out between watering. Like other palms, it is sensitive to fluoride and other chemicals in tap water, causing leaf tips to turn brown.

This palm’s problems are few, although dry air may attract spider mites to its leaves. Wiping off leaves with a damp cloth from time to time will do double-duty, removing dust and keeping those pests away.

You can breathe easier, knowing this is one of the best plants for improving air quality indoors. It has one of the top removal rates of toxins such as formaldehyde and ammonia.

Light: Bright, indirect light. Too much sun will cause the leaves to turn yellow-green.

Humidity: Moderate to high humidity. Brown leaf tips may indicate that humidity is low. Mist foliage and stand the pot on a tray of wet pebbles. Temperature: Average room temperatures 60-75°F/16-24°C.