Parlor Palm

The Essence

"The parlour palm (Chamaedorea elegans), also known as the Neanthe bella or good luck palm, is one of the most widely sold houseplant palms in the world. A small, slender palm native to the forests of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras, it typically reaches 2-3 m tall (rarely 4-5 m) and forms green, ringed, bamboo-like trunks topped with arching, feather-shaped fronds. Its enduring popularity dates to the Victorian era, when it earned its 'parlour palm' name by surviving in dark, often unheated rooms. That tolerance of deep shade and low light is exactly why it still thrives indoors today, and it holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit. It can begin flowering when remarkably small, sometimes at just 30 cm tall, producing small light-yellow to orange-red flowers followed by pea-sized berries that ripen black. The species is tender and frost-sensitive (USDA Zones 10-12), so in cooler climates it is grown as a houseplant. It is also reported to be non-toxic to cats, dogs and horses."

A classic Victorian-era parlour palm, it was prized because it could survive in the dark, often unheated rooms of the period, and remains one of the most extensively sold houseplant palms in the world.