CHAMAEDOREA

Generally small, slow-growing, feather-type palms from the rain forests of Mexico and Central and South America. Some have single trunks, others clustered trunks; leaves are variable in shape. Perfect for a large container on a shaded patio. If growing indoors, feed monthly during growing season with a balanced liquid fertilizer; cut back on fertilizer and water in winter.

cat palm, cascade palm

BAMBOO PALM

chamaedorea cataractarum

• Forms a dense clump to 6 feet tall, 9 feet wide.
• Dark green, arching, feathery leaves to 3 feet or longer.
• Does best in a moist, partially shaded location with protection from drying winds.
• Good as informal hedge, screen, border, or understory plant.
• Hardy to 24F.

parlor palm

chamaedorea costaricana

• If well fed and liberally watered, develops fairly quickly into bamboolike clumps 810 feet tall and wide.
• Lacy, feathery leaves 34 feet long.
• Good potted palm.

chamaedorea elegans

• The best indoor chamaedorea, tolerating crowded roots, poor light.
• Single stemmed; grows very slowly to an eventual 34 feet tall and nearly as wide.
• Feathery, lush green leaves to 2 feet long.
• Douse the tops of potted plants with water occasionally.
• Groom by removing old leafstalks.
• Repot every 2 or 3 years, carefully washing off old soil and replacing it with good potting mix.
• Plant three or more in a container for most effective display.

metallic palm

chamaedorea metallica

• To 3 feet tall and about half as wide.
• Single stem is topped by erect, broadly oval leaves in the shape of a fishtail.
• Foliage has a distinctive blue-green sheen.
• Purple or orange flowers are followed by small black fruits.
• Excellent in pots.

hardy bamboo palm

chamaedorea microspadix

• LS (protected), CS, TS; USDA 8-11.
• Rather open clumps of slender, upright stems can reach 10 feet tall.
• Arching blue-green leaves give plants a feathery look.
• Tough and adaptable; hardy to 18F.

pacaya palm

chamaedorea radicalis

• LS (protected), CS, TS; USDA 8-11.
• This dwarf palm grows just 34 feet tall, and its sprawling, open form makes it a natural choice for planting in groups as a tall ground cover.
• Takes many years to form a discernible trunk.
• Best in rich, moist soil.
• Although it's one of the hardiest in the genus, surviving 10F with only leaf damage, it benefits from overhead protection in the Lower South.

chamaedorea seifrizii(Chamaedorea erumpens)

• To 414 feet tall, 36 feet wide.
• Produces a clump of slender, bright green, bamboolike canes bearing deep green leaves.
• New stems keep forming at the base of the plant, so it never looks sparse.
• Handsome, fine-textured accent for indoors or out.

chamaedorea tenella(Chamaedorea geonomiformis)

• Single-trunked palm to 34 feet tall and wide.
• Dark bluish green leaves to 8 inches long, 23 inches wide have a distinctive look: they are undivided except for a deep cleft at the tip.

chamaedorea tepejilote

• Single trunk ringed with swollen joints like those of bamboo.
• Moderate growth to 10 feet or taller and about 8 feet wide.
• Velvety green, feathery leaves reach 4 feet long.
• Hardy to 28F.