SCIENTIFIC NAME: Chamaedorea elegans

COMMON NAME(S): Parlor palm; Neanthe bella
SUB FAMILY: Ceroxyloideae
TRIBE: Hyophorbeae
ORIGIN: Mexico, Guatemala, Belize
HARDINESS ZONES: 10B-11 (no problem at 25 degrees F)
TYPICAL MAXIMUM HEIGHT: 3' (but capable of reaching 6' or more)
GROWTH RATE: Slow
HABIT: Solitary; canopy of 5-15 leaves
SALT TOLERANCE: Low
DROUGHT TOLERANCE: Moderate
SOIL REQUIREMENTS: Widely adaptable
LIGHT REQUIREMENTS: Low; moderate
NUTRITION REQUIREMENTS: Moderate
POPULAR USES: Foliage plant; specimen plant
HUMAN HAZARDS: Irritant
POPULAR OR RECOMMENDED CULTIVARS: None

COMMENTS: Parlor palm, one of the most popular indoor palms in the world and a frequent component of dish gardens, is an extremely variable species in the wild. In the outdoor landscape, it can be used as a small accent in low light, but is more conspicuous if several are planted close together. Young plants massed together can even function as a ground cover of sorts. As a houseplant, C. elegans will inhabit a dark corner for many months with little ill effect, but mites can be troublesome at low relative humidity. Parlor palm varies in the eventual height individuals will reach, as well as in the size of the leaves.