The Indoor Plant That Thrives Even Where There's Hardly Any Light

Keeping houseplants alive and thriving can sometimes feel like a game of roulette. Some plants crave and need lots of sunlight each day and don't do well in shade. Others prefer low-light conditions — although if you're a beginner, it may be hard to know how much light your low-light plants actually need. One beautiful indoor plant that can handle low-light conditions is the parlor palm (Chamaedorea elegans). This striking plant features lovely green foliage and reaches about 5 to 6 feet in height. The parlor palm has been a popular houseplant since the Victorian era, as it was one of the few plants that tolerated the cooler temperatures and low-light conditions most Victorian parlors had. 

Parlor palm is winter hardy in USDA Zones 10 to 12 and can be grown outdoors in those zones if desired, but most people prefer to have it indoors. (If you're dealing with limited sunlight in your home or office, here's what you should know about using indirect sunlight on your indoor plants.) You will find that this palm handles those limited-sunlight situations and thrives as long as its other care needs are met, including soil, water needs, nutrients, and temperature. 

In fact, you don't want to have parlor palm in direct sunlight at all, or the leaves can get scorched. Bright, indirect sunlight is best, but parlor palms can also thrive in rooms with no windows while being put under LED grow lights for about 10 to 14 hours per day.

Finding the right-size container for your parlor palm is an important part of its health and happiness. You want a container that is a few inches wider than the root ball of the palm. It may be tempting to choose a huge pot that the palm can grow into, but if the pot is too large, the soil can be too wet and root rot can develop. You can transplant it to a larger pot later as it grows. Make sure the pot has plenty of drainage holes so the water can run out easily. You can also use a simple hack — the thud method — for choosing a good plant pot that you and your palm will be happy with.

When choosing a soil, look for a potting mix that is specifically for palms and cacti, as this will be the best for your palm. If that's not available, use regular potting soil and add in perlite or sand to increase drainage. 

Watering, as with any plant, is an important part of keeping your palm healthy and thriving. Whenever the top inch of soil is dry to the touch, water your palm deeply. This will usually be around once a week or two. You want to keep the soil moist but not wet, and definitely not soggy. Lightly misting your palm will help increase humidity levels. 

The ideal temperature for your parlor palm is anywhere between 65 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Avoid rapid temperature drops, and keep the plant out of drafts. It is best to keep the palm away from windows during the winter, heating vents or heaters, and AC vents so the temperature stays stable.