Chamaedorea: Planting and Care

Description and botany

Chamaedorea elegans. Botanical plate from 1858

The Chamaedorea is a small to medium-sized palm tree from the Arecaceae family which includes all palm trees. It originates from the humid tropical forests or wooded mountains of South America, Central America and Mexico. The Chamaedorea genus comprises around 120 species of small palm trees, among which we find the Chamaedorea elegans, “mountain palm” or “parlour palm” which is the most common, the Chamaedorea klotzschiana, rarer in cultivation, the Chamaedorea ernesti-augusti, “Ernest August’s palm”, another small-growing species, or the Chamaedorea metallica, a dwarf species with blue leaves.

This is a slow-growing palm, increasing by about one ring per year. It doesn’t grow very tall, rarely exceeding 3 to 5 m in height at most in open ground, making it perfectly suited to container cultivation and easily integrated into small gardens. It is not very hardy, only suitable for outdoor cultivation in our mildest regions, which is why in our latitudes it is grown indoors in pots, where it won’t exceed 1.50 to 1.80 m in height with a 90 cm spread.

The habit is slender and very graceful, similar to the Chamaedorea elegans. Like all palm trees, the Chamaedorea develops a trunk or stipe. In this palm, it is narrow, 2 to 5 cm in diameter. Marked by the rings of old petioles and green in colour, it resembles a bamboo cane.

Chamaedorea costaricana (© Dick Culbert) and Chamaedorea elegans

At the top of each stipe unfolds a crown of evergreen foliage that remains decorative all year round. From the stipe emerge large leaves that bring much exotic appeal. The foliage differs between species, however, being either segmented or notched. The leaves can be pinnate, divided into large and numerous pairs of leaflets, or bifid, meaning split into two segments at their tip like a fish tail. These fronds can measure up to 80 cm long and 30 cm wide. They lengthen over time. This type of palm produces 2 to 3 new fronds per year, each living for several years. Like other palms, they are thick, leathery, and traversed by many parallel veins. The leaves are green in colour, ranging from light green to dark green, sometimes with a metallic blue hue.

The foliage varies among Chamaedoreas, here from left to right: Chamaedorea fragrans (© Jungle Rebel), Chamaedorea tuerchkeimii (© Daniel Rengel), Chamaedorea elegans and Chamaedorea metallica (Forest and Kim Starr)

Flowering occurs between May and October, after 3 or 4 years of cultivation, but it is very rare in cultivation. Indoors, the plant tends to flower more readily. The flowering emerges near the stipe, between the leaves. It takes the form of panicles of generally yellow flowers, grouped in glomerules like mimosa, 15 to 40 cm long, erect, single or branched. The flowers are orange-red in Chamaedorea ernesti-augusti and gathered in clusters on erect then trailing branches, giving the inflorescences of this species the appearance of curious tentacles.

It is a dioecious tree, meaning there are male plants, with only male flowers, and female plants with only female flowers. The flowering takes on a different appearance depending on whether one is dealing with male or female individuals, and both genders must be present for the plant to bear fruit.

The flowers then turn into small round inedible and toxic fruits, coral or red in colour, becoming black when ripe.

Placed in the home, the Chamaedorea absorbs pollutants present in indoor air such as tobacco or volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emanating from paints, cleaning products, chipboard furniture or floor coverings.

Main species

[product sku=”89889″ blog_description=”A rare small-growing species in cultivation. It is prized for its very elegant habit and its large, luxuriant fish-tail leaves.” template=”listing1″ /]

[product sku=”89890″ blog_description=”This modestly sized palm resembles bamboo! Hardy (-5°C), it can be acclimatised in sheltered gardens. It thrives in containers, allowing it to be overwintered in a conservatory or frost-free greenhouse.” template=”listing1″ /]

Planting Chamaedorea

Where to Plant Them?

Most Chamaedoreas require warmth. They are very sensitive to cold, tolerating only -1 to -4°C at most, and only briefly. This is why, in our latitudes, they are easier to acclimatise in pots in a conservatory or bright room rather than in the ground. This type of palm tree can only be planted in the ground in the most sheltered gardens of the Côte d’Azur or the Atlantic coast. Provide them with a sheltered position, protected from cold and dry winds in partial shade, as they dislike harsh sunlight. The ideal is to place them under the canopy of large trees.

In frost-free regions, they appreciate a soil that remains slightly moist, light, rich in compost, and well-drained.

Elsewhere, they can be grown in pots to adorn the terrace during the warmer months and should be moved to a frost-free location in colder regions or make for a beautiful orangery plant indoors. In this case, place your pot in a very bright spot, the Chamaedorea adapts to any heated room between 12 and 20°C maximum (never below 10°C), while avoiding direct sunlight, nearby radiators, and draughts. Indoors, they prefer filtered light, sheltered from the sun’s scorching rays.

In the ground, Chamaedoreas naturally integrate into an exotic border or as a standalone feature on a short grass meadow. As these are compact palms, they are easy to grow in a large pot, which you can place, for example, on a terrace or balcony to add a stunning exotic touch.

When to Plant Chamaedoreas?

We recommend planting Chamaedoreas in spring, around March to May, after the last frosts. In pots, you can plant until September.

Chamaedorea elegans (© Dick Culbert)

How to Plant Them?

In the Ground

Choose a well-sheltered spot in dappled shade, protected from full sun, which could scorch the foliage.

• Dig a large planting hole, two to three times the size of the root ball
• If your soil tends to retain water, spread a layer of gravel or clay pebbles at the bottom of the hole
• Position the palm upright in the centre
• Fill with a mix of turf and soil, avoiding burying the base of the trunk
• Water generously
• Mulch around the base to keep the soil moist

In Pots

This palm is easily grown in pots to place on the terrace in summer and bring indoors to protect from frost in winter. You can plant several specimens per pot.

• Choose a pot with drainage holes, at least 30 to 40 litres in size
• Add a drainage layer at the bottom (clay pebbles, broken pottery, etc.)
• Plant your palm without burying the trunk in a mix of good garden soil, houseplant compost, and coarse sand
• Water moderately
• Place in shade or indoors

Maintenance

In the ground

Chamaedoreas need water and the soil should remain cool in summer. The soil must stay cool, but not waterlogged. In winter, water only if rainfall is scarce. Water once or twice a week in summer. Mulch around the base to keep its roots cool in summer and warm in winter.

Apply organic fertiliser (compost) in spring and summer by lightly scratching it into the soil at the base of your palm.

We recommend protecting it in winter by wrapping it in horticultural fleece.

In pots

Be mindful of the slightly dry atmosphere in heated interiors during winter! When grown in pots indoors, Chamaedoreas require high and consistent humidity. Water once or twice a week in summer with rainwater or mineral water at room temperature, allowing the growing medium to dry out between waterings. You can spread a layer of clay pebbles in the saucers.

Apply organic fertiliser for houseplants once a month from April to September.

At the first sign of frost, if you live in a cold region, bring your pots indoors or into a greenhouse (ideally at 18-20°C) in a bright spot, but avoid direct sunlight and draughts. Mist the foliage regularly with clean water, then gently wipe the leaves with a damp cloth or sponge. Reduce watering in winter to once a week, allowing the growing medium to dry out slightly between waterings, and stop fertilising.

Cut dried leaves at the base of the stem.

You can move your pots back outside in spring after the last frosts.

Also consider repotting in spring, when roots are visibly growing out of the pot, on average every 3-4 years, each time choosing a slightly larger pot than the previous one. Alternatively, you can simply top-dress annually by adding a fresh layer of compost a few centimetres thick.

Diseases and parasitic pests

The Chamaedorea is rarely diseased. If brown spots appear on the leaves, this is certainly due to scorching from direct sunlight. Move your plant to a less exposed spot and cut off the affected leaves. In case of water shortage, the leaf tips may dry out.

Indoors, if the ambient air is too hot and dry, red spider mites can threaten the foliage: mist the leaves regularly, as they dislike humidity.

In case of overwatering, rot may endanger your palm: allow the compost to dry out thoroughly before resuming more moderate watering. If necessary, you can repot it in fresh, better-draining compost, ensuring to spread a good layer of clay pebbles at the bottom of the pot and add some coarse sand to the planting soil.

Mealybugs leave small white cottony clusters under the leaves: in case of infestation, remove them with cotton wool soaked in 90°C alcohol and spray with rapeseed oil.

To learn more, also read our article: “Diseases, parasitic pests, deficiencies: everything that can affect your Chamaedorea”.

Propagation of Chamaedorea

The Chamaedorea is propagated by sowing, but this operation is delicate and lengthy. It is reserved for expert gardeners. It requires constant heat (25-27°C) and humidity. The seeds are sown in spring in a tray filled with potting compost and placed in a heated greenhouse. Germination is slow and can take up to 3 months. Transplant the young plants into buckets filled with compost and allow them to strengthen before transplanting them into the garden or into pots.

Pairing

With its lush foliage, the Chamaedorea palm helps create an exotic atmosphere or beautiful Mediterranean scenes.

In frost-free regions, in a partially shaded border, surround it with Yucca, and other palms that appreciate dappled shade such as Phoenix roebelinii, Japanese banana trees (Musa basjoo), and other plants with lush foliage, like Gunnera, Euphorbias, Tetrapanax papyrifera ‘Rex’, or arborescent ferns.

In a more mineral composition, it pairs well with Phormiums, Cordylines, and Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola‘ with their graphic and colourful foliage, as well as small Fargesia bamboos like ‘Bimbo’.

You can complement it with the vibrant flowerings of Crocosmias and Cannas.

It can also be planted in a very large pot on the terrace, or near a swimming pool with a tapetum of golden pearlwort or plectranthus at its base.

Chamaedorea elegans in the centre, in companion with Gunnera manicata, Dicksonia antartica, Yucca and Cordyline australis ‘Torbay Dazzler’