1. The lady palm, or Rhapis Excelsa, is a small fan palm that can do exceedingly well indoors in your offices under the right conditions. It grows from multiple stems, each topped with upright fronds. As the name implies, the fronds are split into fan-like segments. The lady palm, sometimes called the bamboo palm or miniature fan palm, is the best suited of all the fan palms to indoor office cultivation. 

2. Light: Dappled light is best during the summer. In winter, it can tolerate light shade.

 

3. Water: Water lightly during the summer, ensuring perfect drainage. In winter dry inside environment , increase watering to once a every  week, depending on the temperature.

 

4. Temperature: In summer, it thrives at 70ºF. In winter, keep above 55ºF and do not expose to drafts.

 

5. Soil: Rich, loose potting media. Use pebbles or sand to increase drainage.

 

6. Fertilizer: Slow-release pellets in the beginning of the growing season or biweekly liquid fertilizer. Don’t feed in winter.

7. Propagation by seed is possible, but it’s unlikely the palm will flower and produce viable seeds in most indoor settings. More mature plants can be divided during repotting, or the small suckers around the base can be carefully separated and potted independently. Divided palms often go into shock and their growth rate will slow dramatically.

8. As with other palms, the R. excelsa and other Rhapis palms do well slightly underpotted. Repot every other year in spring. Do not disturb roots more than necessary while repotting, but transfer intact root ball into the new pot. While repotting, make sure the new pot is well drained.

9. Rhapis palms are great plants for the casual palm-lover with moderate space. Even the best R. excelsa will only grow to about 6 feet in height, with a fairly narrow, upright crown, making it perfect for a bright, warm corner. Make sure the plant is well fed during the summer and adequately watered (although no palm should sit in water, so remember to pay attention to drainage). Don’t overtrim brown fronds at the expense of the mother plant.

At Plantscape Designs Inc., we always try to include in our design Rhapis Palms whether working  in the Arsenal On The Charles Office Park, Watertown, Cranberry Hill Office Park, Lexington, Wellesley Office Park, Wellesley or Reservoir Place Office Park, Waltham, MA.