The Chamaedorea elegans, also called the parlor palm, camadorea or Chamaedorea palm , is a small palm that has its origin in Guatemala and Mexico. It is a very striking green plant that helps to give a tropical and very colorful touch to any space, and it is that we can have the Chamaedorea outside and also inside.
Despite its colorful and delicate appearance, it is a tremendously resistant plant, making it very suitable for beginners or amateurs with little time to care for plants. If you want to learn how to take care of a Chamaedorea, keep reading us in this article where you will see a practical and complete guide on the care of Chamaedorea elegans .
Characteristics of the Chamaedorea
Before going on to talk about the care of Chamaedorea, we will talk about its main characteristics:
- As we have said, the camadorea is a very resistant plant that does not need very specific care.
- It is a slow-growing species that rarely reaches heights above 2 meters and that, very usually, will remain well below this measure.
- The flowering of Chamaedorea elegans is striking , as its inflorescences are edible as a vegetable. To do this, you just have to pick the Chamaedorea elegans flower when it is still tender and consume it as you prefer.
If we want to keep our palm tree in the best possible condition, it is worth paying attention to the following points about its care.
Location and light for the litter
This plant has its origin in low areas of dense forests, so it is not used to receiving large amounts of light, and even less directly.
Taking this into account, outdoors we will always place it in a semi-shady area , protected from the direct sun during the most intense hours, as the strong sun can burn its leaves very easily. This plant is very comfortable under other larger palms or trees.
Indoors, we must look for a bright room , but again, we will place it away from direct sun , especially from the one that enters through windows or glass doors, since this has a magnifying glass effect and our plant would burn even more quickly than in the outside.
Soil for Chamaedorea
In this sense, the Camadorea is not a demanding plant. If we plant it in a pot, a universal substrate may be enough, although a contribution of perlite will help to improve its properties a little.
Outdoors, the important thing is that the area has good water drainage . If the soil in your garden does not drain well, you can prepare a square hole of 1 meter per side and covered with mesh, to fill the space with better draining substrate.
How to water a potted Chamaedorea palm tree
This plant requires moderate watering in which, as usual, frequency is more important than quantity . In the cold months, one or two weekly irrigations will suffice, while in the warm months the water demand of the plant can increase up to five irrigations per week.
However, you have to pay attention to how quickly the substrate dries because, in a pot, and especially indoors, plants tend to demand less water. If the substrate is still wet under the surface, your house palm does not need watering yet. To do this, you can stick a small wooden stick a few centimeters and check if it comes out dry or wet.
Fertilizer of the lounge palm tree
Although the plant is not very demanding, in the warm months it will appreciate that we provide it with an adequate dose of fertilizer, specifically for palm trees, if possible. In fact, we can alternate the use of specific fertilizer one month, with the contribution of a fertilizer or organic compost , such as compost or worm castings , the next.
Pruning the Chamaedorea elegans
This palm does not need a specific pruning. Therefore, if you were wondering how to prune a Chamaedorea palm tree , keep in mind that it will be enough to be careful and sanitize it by removing the dry or weakened leaves that we find on a regular basis. Likewise, you can cut the leaves that you see very old, even if they are the largest, since they will not take long to fall by themselves but until then they will be reducing energy to the plant. Thus, you can also trim the leaves from their base on the trunk that you consider are too long or that you see sick.
Salon palm tree propagation
This palm tends to produce small suckers or secondary stems. Propagating it from these Chamaedorea cuttings is very simple, since we will only have to carefully separate them and plant them in a new pot and then water them. If you consider that they have few roots, you can leave them for a few hours or a few days in a glass of water and close to sunlight on a window, so when you see more roots you can plant them in soil or pot.
My Chamaedorea has wrinkled leaves, what do I do?
If your palm leaves appear to be wrinkling, the plant is most likely enduring excessive heat . The solution is as simple as moving it to a new, cooler location .
My Chamaedorea has dry leaves, why?
If only the tips of its leaves are those that dry, what happens is that the environment is excessively dry or, more likely, that the plant is exposed to drafts, which does not favor it. Move it to a location protected from drafts and away from sources of heat or cold, such as air conditioners or radiators. If the entire leaf seems yellow, it may be that it needs more watering , or that the direct sun is burning it, so you have to find another location where the sun does not shine so directly.
