Palm plants add classic beauty to your home, and they’re easier to care for than most people think. They can thrive for decades as houseplants when you understand their needs.
Plus they’re fun to collect, and there are lots of benefits of growing them indoors. This detailed guide is designed to teach you all you need to know about how to care for palm plants indoors.
From water, light, fertilizer, and soil, to pruning, trouble shooting common problems, and pest control – everything you need is right here.
Benefits Of Growing Palm Plants Indoors
Growing palm plants and trees indoors is very popular these days, and they make excellent houseplants. There are lots of benefits of having them in your home too:
- Palm plants add a lovely tropical feel indoors
- They are tolerant of neglect, and will easily adapt to growing indoors
- Most of them don’t require a lot of light
- Some can help to clean the air in your home
- They can live for many years with the proper care
Different Types Of Indoor Palm Plants
There are lots of different types of palm plants that can thrive indoors. Here are a few of the most common varieties:
- Areca palm tree
- Ponytail plant
- Parlor palm
- Sago palm (though it’s technically not a true palm)
- Majesty palm tree
- Fan palm
- Cat palm
- Sentry palm
- Yucca palm
- Butterfly palm
Indoor Palm Plant Care & Growing Instructions
Even though there are tons of different varieties of indoor palm plants, they all require the same basic care to grow their best. Follow my tips below to help create the perfect environment for them.
Watering
Palm plants can tolerate being under watered, but they will grow their best with consistent moisture. Be very careful not to over water though, because this is their number #1 killer.
Only let the soil to dry out slightly between waterings in the summer, to about 1″ deep. During the winter, you can let them dry out a bit more, or 1-2″ deep.
When it’s time, give your plant a deep drink and allow the excess to drain completely from the holes in the bottom of the pot. If you struggle with watering, I recommend buying an inexpensive moisture gauge to help you get it just right.
Light
Palm plants can easily adapt to low light conditions indoors. Most of them need bright, indirect light, and their leaves can burn in direct the sun.
They won’t survive in complete darkness though, so if there’s no sunlight 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 doesn’t get sunburn.
Potting Soil
When it comes to the type of soil to use, palm plants aren’t super picky. But the best potting medium for them is a loose, porous mix, such as a combo of peat moss, leaf mold, and shredded bark.
You can also buy a fast draining mix that’s specifically made for them. Otherwise they will do just fine in a general purpose one.
If you tend to forget to water your plants, then you can add some peat moss and/or vermiculite into the soil to help it retain moisture longer.
Fertilizer
While they don’t really need to be fertilized, indoor palm plants will benefit from being fed as a part of your regular care routine.
However, they are very sensitive to chemical fertilizers, which can cause brown tips and margins, or easily burn the roots. So it’s best to use an organic option. My favorites are Jobe’s, Espoma, and Dr. Earth.
Whatever type you decide to use, be sure to only feed your plants during the spring and summer, and stop during the fall and winter to give them a rest.
Pest Control Tips
Spider mites are the most common pest that attack indoor palm plants. Keep the humidity level high around the foliage to fend them off. Houseplant scale and mealy bugs can also become a problem sometimes.
If you find any bugs, begin treating them immediately to prevent them from spreading. I recommend using organic neem oil, which is a natural pesticide.
Insecticidal soap also works well, or you can make your own by mixing of 1 teaspoon of mild liquid soap with 1 liter of water.
Related Post: How To Get Rid Of Houseplant Bugs
Pruning
You can regularly trim back your indoor palm plants to keep them looking nice, or to maintain their size and shape. Spring is the best time to do maintenance pruning or to remove long, leggy stems.
It’s common for the lower leaves to turn yellow or brown with age, and you can cut off those fronds anytime of the year using regular pruning shears.
Brown tips and leaf edges are also very common. To trim those off, use a sharp pair of bonsai shears or micro-tip snips.
Troubleshooting Common Problems
It’s usually pretty easy to care for palm plants indoors. But sometimes your plant will start to have problems, and you’re not sure why. Below are the most common issues you might run into, with my tips for how to fix them:
Leaves Turning Brown Or Yellow
It’s normal for the lower, oldest fronds to turn yellow, then brown, and eventually die. So you can just prune those off as part of your regular maintenance routine.
However, if the newer, top leaves are turning brown and dying, then it’s usually caused by improper watering (too much or too little), bugs, or lack of humidity.
Let the soil dry 1-2″ deep before watering again, and check your plant for any signs of bugs. If it’s very dry in your home, try running a humidifier in the room or mist the foliage.
Brown Tips & Margins
One of the most common problems that indoor palm plants have is brown leaf margins and tips. This is usually caused by lack of water, dry air, chemical fertilizers, or pests.
Check to make sure you’re watering enough, and inspect the leaves for bugs. Use organic fertilizer rather than chemicals, and try to increase the humidity level around the plant.
For some species, brown tips and margins are just a normal part of their life cycle, so it’s not always something you can fix. If they bother you, simply trim them off to keep your plant looking its best.
Indoor Palm Tree Is Dying
There are several things that can cause indoor palm plants to die. The most common one is overwatering, but it could also be a lack of humidity, or inadequate lighting.
The soil should dry slightly between waterings, and never be completely bone dry or soggy.
Ensure your plant gets bright, indirect sunlight, and increase the humidity level if it has brown tips.
Indoor palm trees and plants are very low maintenance, and will thrive for years when you give them the proper care. Follow the tips in this guide for the best success.
If you want to learn all there is to know about maintaining healthy indoor plants, then you need my Houseplant Care eBook. It will show you everything you need to know about how to keep every plant in your home thriving. Download your copy now!
More Indoor Plant Care Guides
- How To Grow Tropical Plants Indoors
- How To Care For Dieffenbachia (Dumb Cane)
- How To Take Care Of A Money Tree Plant (Pachira aquatica)
- How To Care For Rubber Plants (Ficus elastica)
- How To Care For Fiddle Leaf Fig Plant (Ficus lyrata)
Share your indoor palm plant care tips and advice in the comments below.
Arthur Pfeiffer says
Hi I bought a plam tree in Florida about 10 years ago I plam tree is still growing great I was just wondering what the little shoot that grows out of the side of the tree and has little branches and little balls on the branches . Thanks Artie
Amy Andrychowicz says
It sounds to me like your palm tree is flowering! That means you’re doing a great job caring for it. 🙂
Tassja Plummer says
Hi, the fronds on my (young) parlour palm keep laying flat at the base of the plant then die off. Any ideas? I bought it a couple of months ago & it’s just not doing well. All of my other palms are fine.
Amy Andrychowicz says
I would start by checking soil to make sure it’a not too wet or dry. When indoor palm plants fronds die back like that, it’s almost always a watering problem. The soil should be evenly moist, allow it to dry out about 1-2″ deep before giving it more. It should never feel wet or soggy, but also should never dry to the point where the soil is pulling away from the inside of the pot.
Susan says
Wondering what I can do with an indoor single palm stem plant that has gotten to be about 4 ft tall and is very scraggly looking?
Amy Andrychowicz says
Make sure you’re giving your palm plant the right amount of water (not too much or too little), then try giving it more light. They tend to get thing and scraggly when the room is too dark. Some varieties need more light than others though, so make sure you look up the exact requirements so you know how much to give yours.
Shmuel Wahli says
the palm tree has been steadily growing and now is generating a good supply of oil sticky substance on the leaves… is this a sign of good health as it grows or indicating a problem? thanks for the response.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Sticky stuff on indoor palm tree leaves usually indicates a pest problem. Take a close look at the leaves to see if you can spot any bugs, make sure to check underneath them and along the stems too. Here’s how to identify the most common types of houseplant bugs.
Bob Wright says
I have a baby palm is it safe to put a plastic
Bag over it to boost the humidity.
Amy Andrychowicz says
I wouldn’t recommend putting a plastic bag over your palm, as that will most likely cause it to eventually mold or rot. The best way to increase humidity is either by misting or running a humidifier nearby.
Jay R says
My palm tree sprouted and had a stem and 2 tiny leaves but just recently they started closing should I be worried?
Thank you
Amy Andrychowicz says
Humm… I’m not sure I understand your question. Are you saying your plam plant flowered?
Randal Grosser says
Hi there. This is my first palm plant. It’s Beautiful! but my kittens keep playing with and eating the ends off of the leaves. I have tried several forms of discouragement but they have not worked and I am left with shredded and chewed off ends on the leaves. Is it ok to trim the ends of the leaves?
Thank you so much.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Yep, I have a cat who loves chewing on the leaves of my palm plants too. You can prune the tips off, making your cuts at the same angle as the natural shape of the leaf so it looks better. I have found sour apple spray works great to keep cats from eating the leaves. I’ve never had it damage any of my plants, but it’s always best to test it on a few leaves before spraying the whole plant to make sure it’s ok. Here are more tips for keeping cats out of your houseplants.