Rhapis Palm

The Rhapis Palm, or Lady Palm, is a great indoor houseplant. The fan-like fronds are a shiny, glossy green when healthy. Rhapis Palms will tolerate lower light than many other palms, making it a good choice for the home or office.

Water when the potting soil has dried almost completely to the bottom. In a bright light placement, water when the potting media has dried down about 1/2 of its total depth. Do not allow Rhapis Palm to wilt, it will not recover well. Please read sections on watering plants indoor and lighting and plants as these will most impact your plants health. The Rhapis Palms have different growth habits and leaf types but one thing that is true of all palms is that the growth point is at the tip of each stem. You cannot prune back from this point and get new growth from the cut stem as you might with other plants. You will only stop the growth when you remove this part of the plant. Only cut out trunks when most of the fronds have been lost and cut back to the soil level.

Although most fan palms are seldom sold as houseplants and will mostly be found in large interior-spaces because of their size and spread, the Rhapis Palm is well suited to life in the home. It has more of an upright growth habit than many other fan palms. It has a fairly tough constitution. To keep your Rhapis Palm at it’s best keep the temperature between 60 – 80 F. The Lady Palm can be kept moderately moist in bright lighting but overwatering can be a problem, especially in lower light. Take care to check soil moisture before watering your Rhapis Palm.