Chamaedorea elegans

Chamaedorea elegans
Parlor Palm

Sold by the millions as cute miniature indoor plants in supermarkets and garden centers all over the world, this palm has probably been the quintessential indoor palm since Victorian times. Native to rainforest in Mexico, Guatemala and Belize, it grows a solitary, canelike stem to about 2 m (7 ft.) tall, topped by a graceful crown of neatly pinnate, pale green leaves. Best suited for a shady spot indoors or in the subtropical/warm temperate garden.

germination comments by our visitors
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Also see plant cultivation comments below.

Seeds from this species ...

... are very easy to germinate and need up to 1 month to sprout.
Fresh seed of this palm is very easy to germinate. I collected myself 3 seeds from a trio of Chamaedorea elegans growing at a ground level patio in an inner position, under the building and after removing the seed fruit, i soaked them for 1 day and sowed them at high peat-low perlite mixture sold for ferns. I soaked this soil in water, half burried the seeds and covered the container tightly with sanitas wrap. The container was kept at 16-30C. In about 15 days, all three seeds had sprouted and subsequent growth was satisfying. One of the three however didnt make it as it hadnt developed a root at all, it directly pulled out a leaf...So check for root development before planting, if there is no root,leave it there with plenty of humidity and it may develop one...
Submitted on 22/10/2007 by Konstantinos Giannopoulos giannopouloskonstantinos@yahoo.com


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plant cultivation comments by our visitors
Also see germination commnets above.

Plants from this species ...

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If you wish to read more on palm cultivation, we highly recommend Ornamental Palm Horticulture by Timothy K. Broschat and Alan W. Meerow, available in our bookshop.

Ratings and comments reflect individual experiences and the views of our visitors. They do not necessarily describe the most appropriate methods, nor are they necessarily valid for all seeds or plants of this species. Germination and plant cultivation success depends on many different factors; nevertheless, these experiences will hopefully aid you in your effort to get the best germination results from our seeds and the best growth results from your plants.

We recommend:

Martius, Book of Palms
by H. Walter Lack

Hardcover - 450 pages
19.8 x 13.5 inches!
11.1 pounds!
50 x 34 cm, 5 kg

Our Rating:

Suitable for: all

Martius's magnificent work on the varieties of palm tree. This epic folio was based on Martius's expedition to Brazil and Peru with zoologist Johann Baptist von Spix. From 1817 to 1820 the pair travelled over 2,250 km (1,400 miles) throughout the Amazon Basin, the most species-rich palm region in the world, collecting and sketching specimens.
In his epic work, Martius outlined the modern classification of palm, produced the first maps of palm biogeography, described all the palms of Brazil, and collated the sum of all known genera of the palm family. For apart from his own collection of specimens and notes, Martius also wrote about the findings of others.
Martius's folio is unusual in its inclusion of cross-sectioned diagrams, conveying the architecture of these mighty trees. Equally remarkable are the color landscapes showing various palms—often standing alone—which have a simple and elegant beauty. This famous work is an unrivaled landmark in botanic illustration and taxonomy.

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