HORTICULTURE 



for the home gardener 



Cultivation of Indoor Palms 



The Palmae family includes about 3000 species divided 

 among 210 genera. Most of these are from tropical, 

 subtropical and occasionally the warm temperate 

 regions of both hemispheres. Palms are members of the 

 monocot subdivision of plants as are the orchids, lilies 

 and grasses. These seemingly dissimilar plants have 

 many common characteristics, such as fibrous root 

 systems, parallel leaf veins, and the absence of tap roots 

 and cambium layers which place them in the same 

 group. Palms are unusual since they are one of only a 

 few members of the monocots which have attained 

 tree-like proportions. Two groups of palms can be easily 

 recognized by their leaf form. First are the feather 

 palms whose leaf blades are pinnate making them look 

 like large feathers. Second are the fan palms whose leaf 

 blades are palmate or fan-like. 



Botanic Garde 



Many of the thousands of palm species are highly 

 suitable for indoor use. They also fare particularly well 

 in containers since they have no tap roots and are 

 tolerant of crowding. They can often be grown in 

 containers which appear quite small in relation to the 

 overall size of the plant. 



Chrysalidocarpus lutescens 



Palms can be satisfactorily grown by anyone if a few 

 general guidelines are followed: 



SOILS 



Palms grow well in a variety of soils. Often, palms grow 

 naturally in heavy soils, but the rule to follow in 

 container culture is to use a soil mixture through which 

 water will pass readily. To a light, porous or sandy soil, 

 humus, peat or leaf mold should be added. Good 

 drainage is essential to permit aeration between 

 waterings. This lets in oxygen that is essential to root 

 development. In some areas (Southern California, for 

 example) where water is alkaline, poor drainage in a 

 potted plant will trap the alkaline salts and the plant will 

 become unhealthy. Brown-tipping of leaves is a 

 common danger signal. Salt accumulation may be 

 visible on the surface of the soil, and may even form a 

 crust. If this occurs replace with fresh soil. 



