Rhapis Palm (Lady Palm)

The lady palm (Rhapis excelsa) carries glossy, deep-green, fan-shaped leaves on clustered, bamboo-like stems. Offered in a woven basket, black decorative planter, gray fiberglass tapered cylinder, or brushed chrome. It arrives in its grower's pot set inside a sealed planter, ready to place.

Details

• Size: About 4 1/2'–5 1/2' tall
• Planter: Woven basket, black decorative planter, gray fiberglass tapered cylinder, or brushed chrome
• Light: Medium to bright, indirect light; tolerates low light
• Pets: The ASPCA lists the lady palm as non-toxic to cats and dogs
• Best for: Offices, living rooms, bedrooms, and homes with pets
• Care: Easy

Grown, delivered, guaranteed

Prepared at the Interior Foliage Design greenhouse, 47-47 58th St, Woodside, NY 11377. Free pickup at our Woodside greenhouse, usually ready within 24 hours, Monday–Friday, 8 AM–5 PM. Delivery is $45 to Long Island City, Astoria, Sunnyside, Woodside, Greenpoint, Maspeth, Hunters Point, West Williamsburg and Manhattan below 125th Street; $125 to the rest of Brooklyn and Queens and Manhattan above 125th Street; $195 to Westchester, Nassau, western Suffolk through Riverhead, Greenwich and New Canaan; and $295 to the East End and Bergen, Hudson, Essex and Passaic counties in New Jersey. Every plant carries our 48-hour replacement guarantee; live plants are not returnable (refund policy). Our family has sold plants in New York since the 1970s, and Interior Foliage Design was incorporated in 1980.

Watering

Press a finger an inch or two into the soil. When it feels dry at that depth, give a modest, measured amount of room-temperature water, enough to moisten the root ball, never a flood. The sealed planter keeps your floors dry, so a little at a time is always the better choice. In winter, when growth slows, water less often.

Why the lady palm handles tough offices

NC State Extension notes that the lady palm grows in the understory of wet forests in southern China and Vietnam and lists it as tolerating deep shade. Understory palms are built for filtered light, which is why it holds its color in offices where other palms fade.

FAQ

Is it pet-safe? Yes. The ASPCA lists the lady palm as non-toxic to cats and dogs.

Can it take low light? Yes. It tolerates low light; medium to bright, indirect light keeps it fullest.

How fast does it grow? Slowly, so it keeps its shape for years.