Chamedorea elegans

The Parlour Palm, also known as Chamaedorea elegans, is a popular pet-friendly houseplant that can tolerate modest light conditions in your home. Chamaedorea palms are slow-growing, small palms with typical feather-shaped fronds. Chamaedorea elegans has gently arching, yellowish leaf stalks that grow 45 to 60 centimeters long. These bear almost paired leaflets which are deep green, slender and up to 20 cm long and 2 cm wide. Sometimes, these palms may bear insignificant clusters of yellow flowers followed by tiny black fruits.

Chamaedoreas are natives of Mexico and the rain forests of Central America. The name is derived from two Greek words; “chamae”, meaning “on the ground” and “dorea”, a gift, referring to the accessibility of the fruits to small animals.

Chamaedorea elegans was widely grown in the 19th Century and graced many a Victorian “parlor”, before the increasing availability of other, more “exotic” palms led to a decline in its popularity. It is, however, ideal for modern homes because of its compact size and tolerance of modest light conditions.