Flat leaves Chamaedorea elegans

Credit: Forest et Kim Starr

Chamazdorea elegans nature

Credit: Dick Culbert

Yellow dwarf palm fruit

Credit: Forest et Kim Starr

Dwarf palm in pot

Credit: pluume321

Chamaedorea elegans, a jungle in miniature

Chamaedorea elegans, sometimes called mountain palm, thrives in the rainforests of Mexico and Guatemala. It likes to grow in the shade of taller trees. This member of the Arecaceae family is grown as a houseplant in temperate climates.

How to recognize Chamaedorea elegans?

Chamaedorea elegans is a palm with a slender stipe and upright habit. Although slow-growing, it reaches a height of almost three meters in its natural environment. In pots, it rarely exceeds one meter, hence its nickname of dwarf palm.

Long, lanceolate, pinnate palms form its evergreen foliage. Leaves are light green when first formed. They then take on a darker hue. Each segment measures between 30 and 60 centimetres long.

In its native habitat, Chamaedorea elegans flowers all year round. Along a 30-centimeter-long panicle, small, spiky yellow flowers, similar to those of the mimosa, appear. Flowering also takes place indoors.

Once mature, the flowers turn into yellow ovoid berries, five to six millimeters in diameter.

Unlike Areca catechu fruits, dwarf palm fruits are toxic if ingested by humans or pets. The leaves, sap and stipe are harmless.

Our maintenance tips

Dwarf palms are easy to grow. To avoid killing them, you need to remember two things:

1. Palms need light. Be careful, however, not to expose it to full southern exposure: too much sun will burn its foliage.

2. Indoor palms like humidity, but hate excess water. Over-watering can rot the roots.

Watering

To know if you need to water, touch the soil. Water only when the surface of the substrate is dry (two to three centimeters). Use non-calcareous water, such as rainwater, at room temperature.

To prevent the roots from suffocating, don't leave standing water in the saucer or planter.

Spray

Dwarf palms come from tropical regions. They appreciate high humidity. To recreate it, spray the foliage with non-calcareous water at room temperature.

Repotting

Every spring, repot your Chamaedorea elegans to give it more space.

Obtain a pot two to five centimetres larger than the previous one. It must be pierced to allow excess water to drain out.

Pour a bed of gravel or clay balls in the bottom to optimize drainage, followed by a layer of potting soil for green plants or Mediterranean plants. Plant the palm in the center and add substrate. Press down to remove air bubbles.

Fertilization

To promote the growth of your Chamaedorea elegans, apply fertilizer in spring and summer.

Supplement watering with a houseplant fertilizer to promote the development of your Chamaedorea elegans.

If you have just repotted, wait six to eight weeks before starting to fertilize.

Cleaning

Clean the leaves with a clean wet sponge. This removes dust and improves photosynthesis. It's also a way of preventing mite infestations.

Prune

Remove dry leaves. Cut them off flush with the main stem using pruning shears.

Plantation

When the risk of frost has passed, it's time to plant.

Soak the rootball while working the soil. Choose a sunny spot sheltered from the wind.

Dig a hole 50 cm deep and 60 cm wide. Place gravel, pebbles or pozzolan at the bottom for drainage. Pour in a layer of substrate, made up of garden soil, universal potting soil and sand. Plant your Dwarf palm in the center, making sure that the rootball is level with the soil. If necessary, loosen the root ball.

Fill in the soil with a mixture of potting soil and garden soil and water for the first time. You can mulch the base with bark, pozzolan or gravel to retain moisture.

Seedling

Soak seeds in hot water for 48 to 72 hours. Don't hesitate to change the water if it becomes cloudy.

Prepare a mixture composed of :

one-third potting soil for green plants ;
one third heather soil ;
one third perlite.

Fill a terrine or 1-liter pierced pots with this mixture. Sow the seeds, covering them with a centimetre of potting soil. Water the substrate regularly to keep it moist, and place your seedlings in a well-lit room with a temperature of at least 20 degrees. After a month, the seeds will germinate.

Diseases / Threats

Information

Family	Arecaceae - Arecaceae
Type	Chamaedorea - Chamaedorea
Species	Chamaedorea elegans - Chamaedorea elegans
Lifecycle	Perennial
Foliage	Evergreen
Exposures	Sun Half-shade Shade
Substrats	Humus soil Sandy soil
Planting methods	Open ground In pots In tubs
Categories	Tree Shrub Interior
Tag	Toxic
Origin	Central America
Hardiness (USDA)	9a
Leaf color
Flower color
Fruit color