Hey Plant Friends!

This week we are talking about Rhapis excelsa, commonly known as Lady Palm. This plant belongs to the Arecaceae plant family and is native to southern China and Taiwan. Lady Palms grows in dense clumps of bamboo-like stalks and have large, fan shaped foliage which emerge from sheaths.

Let’s talk about care. Palms do tolerate lower light conditions, but this certainly doesn’t mean no light. Rhapis palms grows best indoors with bright, indirect light. Placing you palm in front of a large, East facing window is a nearly perfect spot. If you plan to grow your Lady Palm outside for the summer, a nice shady spot will do. When it’s time to repot, we recommend Espoma’s All Purpose Potting Mix on its own or combined with Tonka Terra for greater water holding capacity and organic matter. Palms don’t like to completely dry out so soil rich in organic matter will provide even moisture along with ample drainage. During active growth or with high light intensity, water when the top inch of soil feels dry. Growth will slow and light levels become lower in the winter months so you may be able to cut back on frequency of watering. When growing indoors, keep away from cold drafts along with heating and cooling vents. Spider mites are quite common when growing palms, especially in our warm, dry winter homes. Scout and inspect the undersides of leaves for spider mites each time you water. Keep a bottle of Bonide's Insecticidal Super Soap on hand for quick and easy treatment. Lady Palm is non-toxic to our furry friends, making it a great pet safe option!

Rhapis Lady Palm is available in greenhouse in 4” pots. If you have additional questions feel free to reach out to us by phone, Instagram, or email us - hello@tonkadale.com.

Happy Planting!