Meet the parlour palm, or Chamaedorea elegans! Also called a neathe bella palm, these are lush, flouncy tropicals that add a fun texture and fullness to your houseplant collection! Imagine one of these stunning green specimens placed in a fun orange pot, illuminated in the morning light, casting geometric shadows across the floor…yes please! Bringing a parlour palm into your home is an easy way to get that tropical vibe instantly. As for fertilizing, parlours do not require much. Feel free to give them a blast of a liquid tropical fertilizer once or twice in the spring/summer months if they seem stagnant. Otherwise, enjoy this self-sufficient houseplant!

Like many palms, parlours can be found growing in Mexico and Guatemala, towering above rainforest floors at a whopping height of 16 feet! When grown inside, you’ll typically get 2-6 feet out of them. This is an optimal height for those of you that need to play tetris when fitting new houseplants into your homes! Unlike other species of palms, parlours stay clumpy and compact rather than tall and leggy. They are also adept at adapting to lower light and lower temperatures. Do note that a cold draft below 50 degrees will not bode well. Try to keep the ambient temperature between 50 and 80 degrees. They’d do swimmingly in a north-facing window with bright but not direct light. As for potting medium, parlours aren’t picky. A plain old indoor potting soil will do just fine, just ensure your planter has a proper drainage hole.

As for fertilizing, parlours do not require much. Feel free to give them a blast of a liquid tropical fertilizer once or twice in the spring/summer months if they seem stagnant. Otherwise, enjoy this self-sufficient houseplant!