How to Grow and Care for Indoor Palm Plants and Turn Your Home into an Oasis

With more than 2,500 species, the palm family grows all over the world in tropical and subtropical regions including rainforests, along rivers, and on misty mountain sides. In some parts of the country, they’re grown as landscape plants. But because they can survive in very poor and dry soils, they also make excellent houseplants because they’re tolerant of less-than-ideal growing conditions. Many will put up with your occasionally forgetting to water, though they definitely don’t like to be sopping wet, a common reason they’ll die.

Palms generally are divided into two categories, based on the shape of their boldly textured foliage. Palm leaves, or fronds, are either fan-shaped (palmate) or feather-shaped (pinnate). Most are slow-growing indoors and can range from tabletop versions to large floor plants. Because they don’t mind being root-bound, you only need to repot every few years. Generally, the care is the same for most palms, and they’re not as fussy as you imagine so many palms are great for first time plant parents!

Here’s what else you need to know about how to care for indoor palms.

What kind of light do indoor palms need?

Most palms prefer bright light near an east- or south-facing window. North-facing windows may be too dark in most of country, especially in winter time. However, many palms can adapt to lower light levels. If your room is completely dark, invest in an inexpensive LED grow light. If a window gets lots of intense light, especially west-facing windows, diffuse the light with a sheer curtain or blinds to divert direct sunlight.

Indoor palms need high humidity levels.

Palms need more humidity than the typical climate inside your house, especially in winter when it’s extra-dry. They basically are most comfortable in the same humidity levels that you are, which is around 40 to 50 percent. Boost humidity levels by placing palms on a shallow tray of moist travel. Or group lots of plants together in the same space because plants transpire, or emit moisture. So, the more plants you grow near each other, the happier they’ll be.

You may have heard that you should mist your houseplants to increase humidity levels. But that’s a common myth because the effect lasts only a few minutes, which doesn’t improve overall plant health. However, it’s fine to do it for cleaning purposes to keep leaves clean and free of dust, which is important because dust will interfere with a plant’s ability to photosynthesize, or make food. Or you also can set your palms in the shower every so often to give them a light rinse with a gentle spray.

Should I fertilize my indoor palm?

Palms don’t need much! Give them a slow-release palm-specific fertilizer, which contains micronutrients such as iron, manganese and zinc, which are critical for a healthy palm. Feed just once or twice a year and only during its growing season in the spring and summer.

What are the best kinds of palms to grow indoors?

Many different kinds of palms will thrive indoors. Here are some favorites.