Maybe you are looking for suitable plant species to complete your room design with some green accents? When it comes to green houseplants, palm trees are probably one of the most popular options. They give the room a touch of exoticism and are also quite easy to care for. If you would like to bring nature into your home and choose different types of indoor palms, then we can hopefully help you with today's list.
Namely, we have some popular types with their characteristics as wellCare tipsput together to make your choice easier. You will find both an easy-care selection for beginners and busy people, as well as more demanding versions for plant lovers who would like and can invest more time.
Indoor Palm Types Care – The Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea seifrizii)
One of the most popular plant species is without a doubt the bamboo palm. It got its name because of its trunk, whose structure is strongly reminiscent of bamboo. The plant, which comes from Central America, grows up to 3 meters tall, and the slightly curved leaves grow up to 60 cm. They grow profusely and create an exotic look in any room. The palm tree thrives on both low light and direct sunlight, but is not hardy. Water them moderately to frequently and fertilize once a month. During the rest period it does not need any fertilizer.
Bismarck palm care (The noble Bismarck)
The striking thing about the Bismarck palm is its whitish color, which is caused by wax. These indoor palm species come from Madagascar and require a lot of water. In general, the plant requires a lot of care and may not be suitable for beginners. The substrate should be permeable to air and water and ideally consist of earth, humus, clay, gravel and broken expanded clay. A sunny location is important, with temperatures not lower than zero degrees. This means that you can place the palm tree on the balcony or terrace until late autumn and even quite early in spring. The palm tree blooms several times a year and delights every plant lover.
Chilean honey palm (Jubaea chilensis)
As the name suggests, these types of indoor palms come from Chile. It grows very slowly and only reaches a height of 30 cm, which of course makes it perfect for indoor use. Another advantage of these types of indoor palms is that they are frost hardy at temperatures down to minus 12 degrees. This means that this plant can also be placed on the balcony as desired and only brought indoors to overwinter. Choose a bright, preferably full sunny location (but not in spring), water regularly and ensure sufficient moisture. Fertilization is carried out once a month.
elephant foot (Beaucarnea recurvata)
The elephant's foot is very popular as an indoor palm, especially because of its interesting and exotic appearance. The name comes from the fact that the trunk resembles an elephant's foot and is quite thick. Choose a bright location with plenty of sunlight, avoiding the hot midday sun. East and west windows are therefore perfect. For these types of indoor palms, it is best to prepare loose and nutrient-poor soil that is only watered regularly in spring and summer. The soil shows you the right time to water. This should always dry out a little before you add new water. In winter, water is only watered little by little.
Palmlilie (Yucca)
Very well-known plant species are the yucca, which can grow up to 5 meters high, but this is simply impossible in a pot. The location can be windy and sunny. Both weather conditions do not affect the plant. Lots of light is a requirement. The substrate doesn't matter, but it should be permeable. Watering is carried out as soon as the top layer of the substrate has dried, while fertilization is carried out every two weeks. The temperature should not fall below 5 degrees. Otherwise, these types of palm trees are very undemanding. If you have the opportunity to put the plant outside during the warm seasons, you will quickly be impressed by the boost in growth. Time outdoors is extremely good for the plant.
The Dragon Tree (dracaena)
The dragon tree is just as easy to care for as the palm lily. The leaves can be green, white or red in color, and the plant can grow to a height of up to 2 meters, although this is achieved quite slowly. The soil should always be sufficiently moist. It is best to fertilize every two weeks with liquid fertilizer that you dissolve in the irrigation water. The correct location varies depending on the subspecies. As a rule of thumb, however, the dragon tree does not like direct sunlight. Partial shade is ideal for these types of indoor palms. This means the plant receives both sunlight and sufficient rest from the heat.
banana tree (Musa basjoo)
The banana tree is becoming increasingly popular. Depending on the species, they grow between two and six meters high. In addition, the leaves become very large and spread out. So there is a lot of space to take into account. These indoor palm species love light and moisture, but not waterlogging. A sunny or at least partially shaded location is best suited, but the soil should never dry out. Tropical plants cannot tolerate drafts at all. So keep this in mind when choosing the location. The banana tree grows quickly, even though it doesn't need much fertilizer. Offshoots are very common and should best be removed to ensure better growth for the main plant. You can then plant the offshoots in a separate flower pot and grow additional plants.
cobbler palm (Aspidistra elatior)
The cobbler's palm, also known as the butcher's palm or iron plant, reaches a maximum height of up to 70 cm and prefers a shady to semi-shady location. They are ideal for small living spaces. These indoor palm species cannot tolerate direct sunlight or temperatures below 12 degrees. Water moderately often and fertilize every two weeks except in winter. The substrate should be permeable to air and water to prevent waterlogging and rot. For this purpose, it is best to choose a mixture of humus, soil, peat, lava granules and quartz sand.
Kentia Palm Care (Howe)
Since these types of plants are also very easy to care for, they are often the first choice that even beginners can try. It feels most comfortable at temperatures around 20 degrees and in partial shade. Choose acidic soil that is also permeable to water, as the plant does not like waterlogging. Nevertheless, the substrate should always be sufficiently moist. Reduce watering in winter and fertilize once or twice a month during the growth phase. Then you can enjoy the lush growth of the leaves and create the exotic atmosphere you want in your home.
golden fruit palm (Deeply shining)
Although this type of palm tree can get very large, it grows very slowly, which makes it the perfect houseplant. A semi-shady to sunny location is ideal, although the extreme midday sun should be avoided. Since these plant species do not like dry air, the leaves should be sprayed regularly, both in summer and winter. Then the plant can feel as comfortable as in its home and delight you with healthy leaves in lush greenery. The plant could feel particularly comfortable in a damp bathroom. If this room meets the lighting requirements, nothing stands in the way of placing the palm tree there.
Hemp palm as a hardy plant (Trachycarpus fortunei)
These plants come from China, where they can grow to a height of 12 meters in the wild. In the pot, however, growth is limited to approx. 2.5 meters. Choose a bright location with a few hours of direct sunlight to ensure good leaf formation. Before watering, always wait until the top layer of soil has dried out and avoid water containing lime. You can collect rainwater or use distilled water for this purpose. Fertilize every two weeks to provide the plant with the nutrients it needs.
The Fire Palms (Archontophoenix alexandrae)
The fire palms as indoor palm species are very popular, especially for offices, as they are very undemanding. They get by with little light, but also with sun, grow very quickly and, despite their height, do not take up much space. They love moisture and should therefore be sprayed regularly. Small plants require less watering, while larger plants need a lot of water to support all the large leaves. Fertilize twice a month and choose a substrate made of soil, compost, lava granules or expanded clay and gravel.
The betel palm (Areca catechu)
As beautiful as the betel palm is, keep in mind that it is a very demanding plant. Beginners or people who cannot devote a lot of time to care for it should think carefully before deciding on the palm tree in order not to be disappointed later. These plant species come from tropical rainforests and therefore prefer very high humidity. Direct sunlight and drafts as well as temperatures below 20 degrees should be avoided. The soil must always be moist. In addition, the leaves should be sprayed regularly. The water for irrigation must be room temperature or lukewarm and, if possible, free of lime. Fertilize twice a month with palm or cactus fertilizer.
dwarf palm (Chamaerops humilis)
The leaves of the dwarf palm are shaped like a fan. It got its name because of its small size of a maximum of 5 meters, with the actual trunk only 1.4 meters high and the rest made up of the leaves. Whether outdoors or indoors, direct sunlight is strongly recommended as this corresponds to the natural conditions of the plant. Otherwise the plant will grow very slowly. These types of plants need to be fertilized every two weeks and watered regularly. Mix a water-permeable substrate made of gravel, compost, lava granules and sand.
Palmfarn (Cycas rolled)
The cycad is also a very pretty plant. Although it closely resembles palm trees, it is actually a fern that can grow very old and large. This alternative comes from Southeast Asia and Japan and is frost-resistant down to minus 12 degrees. The plant reacts sensitively to changes in location, which should therefore be avoided. Water and fertilize moderately often with rainwater or at least avoid hard water and spray the plant regularly. Repotting should only be done very rarely (every six to seven years). Although at first glance it appears to be a very demanding plant, this is not the case at all. Once you have found the right location, you will enjoy the plant for many years without having to invest a lot of time and care.
BluenessHesperidenpalme(Brahea Armata)
The Blue Hesperide palm looks very similar to the Bismarck palm. It also has an interesting leaf color. In this case it is a silveryblue type. It is not only suitable as a houseplant, but can also be planted in the garden thanks to its frost resistance. Indoors, however, it should be guaranteed a very bright location, ideally in full sun. It is only watered moderately often because the palm tree does not need much water. These types of plants are fertilized with a liquid fertilizer every three weeks. If all of this is taken into account, you too will be able to enjoy such splendor of leaves that will outshine all other houseplants.
Bergpalme (Chamaedorea)
Although the mountain palm can grow up to 5 meters high in the wild, it only reaches a small size as a houseplant. Perfect for small apartments or rooms for which you are looking for more compact specimens. Always keep the soil moist because they love a lot of water. However, waterlogging must be avoided so that the roots do not begin to rot. In contrast, the soil can dry out in winter, because then the plant has its rest phase. Choose a bright or at least partially shaded location.
Phoenix palm – care tips
The phoenix palm is also known as the date palm. It is important that you find a warm location for this plant that is free of drafts. This should also be bright, i.e. guarantee at least partial shade. After a period of getting used to it, the date palm can also cope with direct sun. So if you only have a free spot by the window, that spot is also suitable after the plant gets used to the conditions. Water these plants when the top layer of soil has dried out. The earth should never dry out completely. Fertilize regularly, for example with palm fertilizer.
rock palm (Brahea sweet)
The name suggests that the palm species feel very comfortable on rocky ground. In the pot, the specimen can survive temperatures down to minus 4 degrees. The plant species prefer a partially shaded to sunny location and are very undemanding. Water moderately during the growing phase. The plant also copes well with dry periods. She adapted the palm tree to this because of the rocky soil on which it grows in the wild. No moisture can be stored there. During the rest period, the soil is simply moistened. Water permeability is very important for the palm, which is already indicated by the fact that dry periods are problem-free.
