Equally stunning planted indoors or out, the delicate lady palm is an exotic addition to the Florida home landscape.
Topping out at a mere 8 to 12 feet, the greatest asset of the diminutive lady palm is its structural silhouette. The many slender, bamboo-like trunks of this dainty beauty curve gently away from one another. The dark green, fan-shaped fronds are composed of deeply segmented individual leaflets. Trees spread naturally, eventually reaching widths of 3 to 10 feet. The yellow flowers bloom in the spring or early summer and are sweetly scented. The oval fruits are inconspicuous and won’t attract wildlife.
Lady palm trees prefer uniformly moist, well-drained soils. They thrive in shady locations and happily grow beneath larger palm trees or other plants. Typically slow-growing, lady palms will tolerate some dry periods but show better growth with regular watering. The low light requirements of the lady palm along with its lush, exotic appearance make it a favorite in both commercial and residential interiors. Plant indoor lady palms in containers that allow adequate drainage and keep them in locations away from direct afternoon sun.
Lady palm is especially beautiful when planted near entries or in borders and lit from below. Use them as backdrops surrounded by groundcover or plant them 3 to 4 feet apart to create an unusual and tropical informal hedge.
