Nothing screams “tropical indoor plant” quite like palm plants. There are lots of different types of palm houseplants, but don’t worry. Keeping these elegant plants thriving is easy with this detailed indoor palm plant care guide.
Palm plants are fun to collect, and pretty darn easy to care for. Plus there are lots of benefits of growing them indoors.
If you want to create an indoor jungle, then you’ll definitely need to add a few of these beauties to your collection.
So, in this post, I’m going to show you everything you need in order to be successful. From watering, lighting and fertilizing, to soil, pest control and pruning, you’ll find it all right here!
Benefits Of Growing Tropical Indoor Palms
Palms make excellent houseplants because they are very tolerant of neglect, but they will grow their best when given the proper indoor palm plant care.
These easy care indoor plants are perfect for most homeowners because they don’t like a lot of light, and will easily adapt to growing indoors.
Plus, palm plants help to clean the air in our homes, which is another wonderful benefit of growing tropical indoor palms.
Palm plants can live for many years when they’re cared for properly, and some palm varieties can grow into huge palm trees in containers indoors.
You can even move your palm plant outside (in a shady spot) during the summer to give it a boost if you want.
Ponytail palm plant
Different Types Of Palm Houseplants
Like I mentioned above, there are tons of different palm plants that make excellent houseplants.
They don’t all look exactly the same, and some palm plant varieties don’t even look like what you would imagine. So, keep that in mind while you’re out shopping for new indoor tropical plants.
Here are a few of the most common types of palms for indoors that you might find for sale online or at your local garden center.
- Areca palm tree
- Ponytail plant
- Parlor palm
- Majesty palm tree
- Fan palm
- Cateracterum palm
- Sentry palm
- Yucca palm
- Butterfly palm
Different palm plants for sale
Indoor Palm Plant Care Guide
Even though there are tons of different varieties of indoor palm plants, they all require the same basic conditions to grow their best.
That’s great news, and makes indoor palm plant care so much easier!! Here are some basic tips for caring for a palm plant indoors.
Watering Palm Plants
Palm plants are tolerant of being under watered, but they will grow their best when watered on a regular basis.
Ideally, palm plants prefer it when their soil is kept evenly moist, especially during the summer months (their active growing season).
Allow the soil to dry out only slightly between waterings in the summer. During the winter, you can let the soil dry out a bit more between waterings.
Be very careful not to overwater though, this is the number one killer of palm plants. I recommend growing indoor palm plants in pots that have drainage holes in the bottom, which will help to prevent overwatering.
If you struggle with giving your plants the right amount of water, I recommend getting an inexpensive soil moisture gauge to help you get it just right.
You could also use indoor plant watering devices to help with watering palm trees in pots.
Dwarf parlor palm houseplants
Best Lighting For Palm Trees Indoors
One of the reasons palm plants are such common houseplants is that they can easily adapt to low light conditions indoors.
In fact most indoor palms prefer the shade, and will suffer if they get any direct sunlight. This is perfect, since most of us don’t have a ton of direct sunlight in our homes anyway!
Low light palm houseplants prefer bright indirect light, but will tolerate less light, especially during the winter.
They won’t survive in complete darkness though, so if there’s no natural light in the room, you’ll definitely need to add a grow light.
If you put your palm plant outside during the summer, make sure to keep it in the shade so it won’t get sunburn.
Best Potting Soil For Palm Trees
When it comes to what soil to use for palm trees and plants, most indoor palms aren’t super picky. The best soil for palm trees growing in pots is a loose, porous soil mix, such as a combo of peat moss, leaf mold, and shredded bark.
You can also buy cactus and palm soil mix specifically made for growing palm plants, otherwise they will grow just fine in a general purpose potting soil.
If you’re one of those people who tends to forget to water your plants (ehem, not that I would know anything about that), then you can mix some peat moss and/or vermiculite into the general purpose potting soil to help retain moisture.
Keep in mind that palm plants don’t like to be repotted, and can be grown in the same pot for several years. So, it’s best to wait to repot your palm plant until it’s pot-bound.
Super healthy palm plant leaf
How To Fertilize Palm Trees Indoors
Indoor palm plants don’t really need to be fertilized, but of course the plants will benefit from being fed as a part of your regular indoor palm plant care routine.
However, they are very sensitive to chemical houseplant fertilizer, and using synthetic fertilizers can do more harm than good.
It’s best to stick with using an organic plant fertilizer to feed your indoor palm plants.
The good news is that there are lots of options for organic palm tree fertilizer on the market that are specifically made for indoor house palms, which makes feeding them super easy!
My favorite brands of indoor palm fertilizer are Jobe’s, Espoma, and Dr. Earth. Whatever type of fertilizer you decide to use, it’s important to know when to fertilize palm trees.
Be sure to only fertilize your palm plants during their active growing period (spring and summer). Don’t fertilize indoor palm plants during the fall and winter, or the plants may suffer.
Indoor palm trees in containers
Battling Houseplant Pests On Indoor Palm Trees
Spider mites are the most common pest that can attack indoor palm plants. Keeping the humidity level high in the air around the plant will help to fend off spider mites, and will also benefit the plant.
Houseplant scale and mealy bugs can also be a problem, but are much less common.
If you find that your palm plant has bugs, begin treatment immediately. Don’t use chemical pesticides on houseplant pests though, they aren’t very effective (plus they’re harmful to us and our pets!).
I recommend using organic neem oil, which is a natural pesticide. I also like to use a mixture of 1 tsp Dr. Bronner’s Baby-mild Liquid Soap per 1 liter of water to help control bugs.
Insecticidal soap or horticultural oil also work great. Learn more about how to get rid of houseplant bugs here.
Pruning Palm Plants
Indoor palm plants can be pruned to keep them looking nice, and to maintain their shape. Pruning off any old yellow, brown or spotted leaves on a regular basis is a good habit to get into, and will keep you palm plant looking its best.
It’s common for the lower leaves of palms to turn yellow or brown with age. If your plant is really full, you can prune off the old, small leaves around the bottom by simply cutting the fronds back to the stem of the plant.
You don’t need to remove the whole frond if it just has brown tips, but otherwise looks healthy. Brown tips of palm leaves can be pruned off any time to keep the plant looking nice.
Since palm leaves are so thin, use a sharp pair of pruners like bonsai pruning shears or micro-tip pruners for trimming palm plants.
If there are any super long stems, and you don’t like how they look, you can remove those too, but it’s not necessary. Be careful not to remove too many healthy fronds though, or it could harm the plant.
Common Indoor Palm Plant Care Problems
One of the most common problems that indoor palm plants have is brown leaves and tips. Why do the tips of palm leaves turn brown? Here are a few common causes…
- Lack of water
- Overuse of chemical fertilizers
- Spider mites
Keep in mind that if you just brought the plant home from the garden center, it will take some time for the chemical fertilizers to wash out of the soil (but it doesn’t hurt to check to make sure you’re watering it enough, and that it’s not infested with spider mites).
If you’ve had the plant for a while and don’t use chemical fertilizer, then take a close look to see if the plant has spider mites. If the plant is clean, then check the soil and make sure it’s not too dry.
To keep your indoor palm plants looking nice, simply trim off the brown tips.
Brown tips on indoor palm plant
If you don’t have a houseplant palm yet, or you’re looking to add more to your collection, you can buy indoor palm trees and plants online, or find them at your local garden center.
Indoor palm trees and plants are very low maintenance, and will thrive for years when you give them the proper care. If you ask me, palms might just be the perfect houseplant.
Products I Recommend
More Indoor Plant Care Guides
- Tropical Houseplant Care Guide: How To Grow Tropical Plants Indoors
- How To Care For A Peace Lily Plant
- How To Care For Dieffenbachia (Dumb Cane)
- How To Take Care Of A Money Tree Plant (Pachira aquatica)
- How To Care For Rubber Plants: The Ultimate Guide
Do you grow palm plants in your home? Share your indoor palm plant care tips and advice in the comments below.
salvador says
hi Amy! I have my palm for months now and slowly deteriorating which makes me sad. I have been checking the soil moisture religiously and keeping it moist Is and has always been my approach. I have re potted it too, thinking that it maybe needed more space and/or new soil. so far, the remaining strand still standing but Im afraid it will have the same end result. I notice the soil too tends to dry up easily. need your opinion on this as they kept me company during quarantine and been praying for them to live long. appreciate your time on this. all the best!!!
Amy Andrychowicz says
It’s hard to help diagnose the problem with your palm plant without knowing the symptoms. You mentioned that you always make sure to keep the soil moist, so it makes me wonder if you’re overdoing it a bit. The soil should dry slightly between waterings, but never stay wet or dry out completely. Stick your finger at least 1″ into the soil to see how wet it is. Overwatering causes root rot, and it can be difficult to save a plant once it gets past a certain point. I would NOT recommend repotting it again, that is a huge stress on plants, and could end up killing it. I would just leave it alone, and monitor the moisture level to make sure it’s not too wet or drying out. Also, don’t give it any fertilizer until it recovers. Hopefully this helps.
Fred says
I just bought a new palm and have put it in a nice large pot with the soil that the nursery recommended. The pot has a drainage hole but nothing’s coming out of the bottom and some of the leaves are starting to turn yellow. It’s out of direct sunlight and was looking really healthy when I bought it! Is there any reason why it might not be draining and is there anything I can do to help it?
Amy Andrychowicz says
If your palm plant is really small in comparison to the pot, then you may have chosen a container that is too large. When repotting, it’s best to only go one size up (so, for example, from an 8″ up to a 10″ pot). If there’s tons of dirt in the pot, and not a lot of roots, then it can become compacted and hold too much water – leading to poor drainage and overwatering. You could try digging some of the soil out around the edges of the pot, and mixing in extra perlite or course sand to improve drainage. That should help.
EYVONNE NEWILL says
Ive3had my palm for years. This year one of the trunks started to shrivel up and the leavea came off. The reat of the plant is fine – i don’t know if I should cut it off and leave the raw part of the trunk or leave it alone??? I am afraid that its going to kill off the rest of my plant….
Amy Andrychowicz says
Yes, you can prune the dead leaves off of your palm plant, that won’t hurt it. Make sure you aren’t overwatering. The soil should never be very wet or soggy, or the roots will start to rot.
Ann Hemme says
We bought a large palm and split it into two pots. They both had fronds that died but now there are new shoots. The new shoots are not opening and it has been months. What do they need to be encouraged to open?
Amy Andrychowicz says
I would make sure that your palm plants are getting enough light, and also start fertilizing them.
Molly says
My palm used to be lively looking and the fronds were tall, now they all droop. What am I doing wrong?
Amy Andrychowicz says
Oh no, sorry to hear your palm plant is not doing well. It sounds to me like you are either over or under watering it. Most of the time, droopy fronds are from overwatering. Check the soil by sticking your finger one inch deep. If it feels wet, then let it dry out a bit more between waterings. If it’s dry, then water it more often. The most important thing to remember is to always check the soil before adding more water, and never do it automatically on a set schedule.
jen says
Hello Amy, how are you? I have had my palm tree for 40 years and we had to repot it 3 times due to its size as its massive and took over a whole room. I just had to trim it down as I had to take it out of the room where its been for many years as we turned it into a bedroom for my dad. Yesterday I watered it as usual and I noticed the bottom was filling up with water which overflowed and continues to leak. We cleaned it up. I thought that was it and this morning I woke up to see that water was all over the floor. I have never had this happen. What is happening? my husband will keep on eye on it today for further leaking.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Wow, your 40 year old palm tree sounds amazing! Sorry to hear about the water leak. It sounds to me like you may be overwatering it. Since you moved it into a different room, it may not require as much water as it did before. Moving plants changes their environment, and the conditions may be much different in the new room. They can also go into a bit of shock when they’re moved, which may also explain why it may not be needing as much water right now. It’s best to always check the soil before adding more water. You never want it to be saturated. Just give your palm plant time to adjust to its new home, and check the soil to see when it needs to be watered again. Hope this helps, and good luck!
Kristine says
My palm has powdery white, rice shaped clumps on it that seem to exist even within the new growth. A nursery doesn’t know what it is bit said it’s not scale or any insect. It used to be accompanied by an oily looking residue. What is this and what can I do about it?
Amy Andrychowicz says
Oh no, sorry to hear your palm plant is having problems! Hummm, I know they said it’s not any type of insect, but it sure sounds like mealybugs to me. Take a look at the pictures on this post to see if this looks like what you see… How To Get Rid Of Mealybugs On Your Houseplants, For Good!
Otherwise, my guess is that it’s some kind of a fungus or mildew. But normally, those aren’t rice shaped clumps, they would look more like a thin powder covering the leaves.
Janet says
Hi Amy! I have an indoor palm that I bought almost 40 years ago. It almost died about a decade ago but I was able to revive it! But now the cutting off of old fronds has left a mass of brown frond stubs around the stem. And I’m also worried it might be too shallow. How would I know?? Also can I tie the fronds together to make it more condensed and upright? It is so wide it takes up too much space!
Amy Andrychowicz says
I’m not exactly sure what you mean when you say you’re concerned that your palm plant might be too shallow. Are you thinking it may be pot-bound because it hasn’t been repotted in a while? If so, then telltale signs to look for are roots growing out of the drainage holes or on top of the soil, it won’t hold moisture very long, and/or the pot looks like it’s about to bust. Yes, you can tie back the fronds to keep them more compact, just be sure to tie them loosley. Good luck!
Masha Gerr says
Hello! I have had my palm for a while now, and it was doing great. All of a sudden the largest, freshest, healthiest fronds have begun to turn yellow, and then dry up. I have tried watering, not watering, fertilizing, and even adding a humidifier. At this point, I really don’t know what to do. Maybe the pot is too small? Please help!
Amy Andrychowicz says
When palm fronds turn yellow and/or brown, it’s almost always due to improper watering. Stick your finger at least one inch down into the soil to see if it feels wet or dry. Palms should never be allowed to dry out completely, they like consistently moist (but never soggy) soil. It’s best to allow the top inch of soil to dry out between waterings. Then give it a good drink of water, and allow the excess to drain completely from the pot. Be sure to dump it out right away, never allow your palm plant to sit in water. Check it weekly, and water it again once the top inch of soil feels dry.
Unfortunately, the discolored fronds will never recover, so you can just prune them off to clean it up if you want. Some types of palm plants are very slow to recover, so be patient. Also, whatever you do, don’t repot it to try to save it. Some palm plants hate being repotted, and doing it while the plant is sick could be fatal. Good luck!
Lisa says
Hello, my indoor 10 inch palm has stalks with seeds pods on them. Should I cut the off at the base of the stalk? They’ve been on there for months and my plant is starting to yellow so I’m afraid they are taking nutrients away from the plant. Help please! Thanks so much! Lisa
Amy Andrychowicz says
Yes, you can prune off the stalks on your palm plant all the way down to the base.
Samantha says
Hi! I’m not sure if this question has already been asked but I recently purchased a Bungalow palm and I do believe I’ve overwatered it..
Do you have any advice as to what I should do?
Amy Andrychowicz says
Oh no! Definitely allow the soil to dry out before watering your palm plant again. Stick your finger one inch into the soil, and don’t water it until it no longer feels damp. If the soil is super soggy, then you could try sliding the plant out of the pot in order for it to dry out faster.
Robert Keller says
The more I read that I need to use stuff labeled “organic” the more skeptical I become. Is there independent scientific evidence for this, or are we buying something because it has a catch phrase attached to it. Makes you feel like you really love your plants or are we just getting ripped off, again! Are plants like cats that will turn up their nose at anything less that “organic” People had houseplants growing happily away before “organic” became a marketing tool. Should I use fish fertilizer on my houseplants, it’s organic?
Amy Andrychowicz says
Whether you choose to use organic products or not is certainly your choice.