For thousands of years, diverse societies around the world have used nearly every part of the palm plant for food, clothing, housing, furniture, and crafts, as well as for ropes, brooms, carpets, fishing nets, and dinnerware. In addition to their usefulness, palms also make lovely houseplants.
Palms for Indoors
Chamaedorea metallica
The foliage of this unusual palm from Mexico has a silvery sheen that makes it stand out from other palms. It is very durable in low-humidity environments and is not susceptible to mites.
Kentia palm (Howeia fosteriana)
The Kentia palm is very adaptable to low humidity and lower light conditions and is not prone to mites. Indoors, the Kentia grows slowly to heights of up to 15 feet.
Miniature fan palm (Rhapis exelsa)
A great choice for beginners, this slow-growing, multistemmed palm thrives indoors and is prized by collectors.
Sealing wax palm (Cyrtostachys renda)
From Southeast Asia, the sealing wax palm is distinguished by the red petioles of its feathery fronds as well as its scarlet crownshaft. ItÆs only recently been grown as an indoor plant and benefits from occasional misting, especially during the winter.
Pygmy date palm (Phoenix roebelenii)
A wonderful and durable indoor palm, the Pygmy date palm can grow to 10 feet tall indoors if placed in a very bright room.
When potting palms, use a well-draining mix (50 percent peat, 30 percent perlite, 20 percent sand) and a slow-release, balanced fertilizer, such as Osmocote. Keep the mix moist, but not soggy, to encourage root growth. Remember that an occasional thorough watering will flush out any chemicals that have built up in the soil mix.
