Bamboo palm

Sun

Partial to full shade outdoors; bright, indirect light indoors. Avoid strong afternoon sun, especially on plants raised indoors.

Water

Keep the root zone lightly moist during active growth, allowing the surface to dry slightly between waterings. Water less in winter, but do not let the entire root ball dry out.

Soil

Humus-rich, well-drained soil outdoors; a free-draining houseplant potting mix in containers. Avoid waterlogged soil and pots left standing in water.

Height

6-12 ft (1.8-3.7 m) outdoors; usually 4-8 ft (1.2-2.4 m) indoors

Spread

3-6 ft (0.9-1.8 m)

Foliage

Evergreen, arching, feather-like leaves with narrow green leaflets, carried on slender, ringed green canes that form a dense clump.

Growth

Slow to moderate, depending on warmth and light

Care needed

Medium

• Heat tolerant

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

2. After 1 year

   2.8 ft (0.85 m)

3. After 2 years

   4 ft (1.2 m)

4. After 3 years

   5 ft (1.5 m)

5. After 5 years

   7 ft (2.2 m)

About 7 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Mildly toxic: may upset a stomach

Growth rate

Slow

• Water thoroughly when the surface begins to dry, then let excess water drain away.
• Feed container plants lightly with a balanced houseplant fertiliser during spring and summer; do not feed during slow winter growth.
• Use a palm fertiliser with micronutrients for outdoor plants if local soils are deficient, following the label rate.
• Repot in spring only when roots fill the container, moving up one pot size.
• Keep away from drying heaters, cold draughts and frost; move outdoor containers into shelter before nights fall below about 50°F (10°C).
• Wipe dust from indoor leaves and inspect their undersides regularly for pests.

Pruning. Remove fully brown fronds at their bases whenever needed, using clean secateurs; retain green or partly green leaves where possible. Do not shorten living canes by cutting off their tops, because each cane has a single growing point; remove an unwanted cane at soil level instead.

Early spring

Check root crowding and repot if necessary; remove dead fronds.

Spring

Resume light feeding as new growth begins and gradually increase watering.

Early summer

If moving a container outdoors, wait for warm nights and acclimatise it gradually in deep shade.

Summer

Check soil moisture frequently and inspect for spider mites, scale and mealybugs.

Autumn

Bring containers into frost-free shelter before cold nights; inspect for pests first.

Winter

Stop feeding during slow growth, reduce watering and keep the plant away from heaters and cold windows.

• Plant in groups beneath taller trees to create a soft, layered screen in frost-free gardens.
• Use a container beside a shaded patio or courtyard seating area for height without a heavy trunk.
• Combine with broad-leaved shade plants to contrast fine, feathery foliage with bold leaf shapes.
• Use as an indoor specimen near a bright window with filtered light, leaving room for its arching leaves.

Garden styles it suits: Modern tropical, Tropical, Modern courtyard, Luxury resort, Green on green and Small-space.

Plant it with: Cast-iron plant, Bird's nest fern, Boston fern, Bromeliads, Peace lily and Calathea.

Wildlife: Flowers can attract small insects, and the clump provides shelter for small garden animals in warm climates. It offers little wildlife value when grown indoors.

• Spider mites cause pale stippling and fine webbing, especially indoors in dry air: rinse leaf undersides and repeat insecticidal soap treatments as directed on the label.
• Scale insects and mealybugs cluster on stems and leaf bases: isolate affected containers, wipe off small infestations and use a labelled horticultural oil or insecticidal soap.
• Root rot causes yellowing, wilting and soft roots in persistently wet soil: improve drainage, empty saucers and allow the surface to dry slightly between waterings.
• Brown tips or scorched patches can follow dry roots, fertiliser salt buildup, cold or direct sun: correct the exposure and watering, and periodically flush container compost with fresh water.

Not known to be toxic to cats, dogs or horses. The foliage is not known to be poisonous to people, but the fruits should not be eaten because they may irritate the mouth and digestive tract; keep fruiting plants away from children and pets that chew berries.

• Parlor palm (Chamaedorea elegans)

  Usually smaller and naturally single-stemmed, although several seedlings are often sold together in one pot; bamboo palm produces new basal shoots to form a true clump.

• Areca palm (Dypsis lutescens)

  Generally larger and fuller, with yellowish canes and leaf stalks and many closely spaced, often upward-pointing leaflets.

• Hardy bamboo palm (Chamaedorea microspadix)

  Has broader leaflets and conspicuous red ripe fruit rather than the black ripe fruit of bamboo palm; it is also substantially more cold-tolerant.

The common name refers to its slender, ringed, bamboo-like canes, while the species name honours botanist William Seifriz.

Propagation. Usually grown from fresh seed, which needs warmth, steady moisture and patience; germination can take several months. Established clumps can sometimes be divided during spring repotting, but each division needs several canes and a substantial root system.

Accepted botanical name

Chamaedorea seifrizii

In the US and Canada

Introduced in the lower 48 states.

Native range

Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico Southeast.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.