We’ve got good news for anyone who’s ready to up their houseplant game with a real statement piece but doesn’t feel entirely confident their green thumb (or lack thereof) can support the ambition. Here, a horticulturist-approved roundup of indoor palm plants that are so easy to care for, you’d hardly know they exist…except you totally will, because they’re also so damn gorgeous that they’re hard to miss.
12 Indoor Palm Plants That Are Easy to Care For
From fishtails to cats
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Published Apr 22, 2024
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Meet the Expert
Justin Hancock is a horticulturist at Costa Farms and has more than 25 years in the industry. A plant enthusiast and educator, Hancock has a degree in horticultural science and has worked in garden centers and botanical gardens as a garden designer, as well as in garden publishing, including as a senior editor at Better Homes and Gardens.
What Type of Palm Is the Easiest to Care For?
While all the palms on our list are fairly hardy and low-maintenance, Hancock tells us that the ponytail palm is often hailed as “the plant of steel” due to the fact that it’s drought-resistant, remarkably resilient and able to adapt well to less than ideal light conditions.That said, the experts notes that, despite its name, the ponytail palm isn’t actually a palm, but rather a succulent (a distinction that accounts for its particularly low maintenance qualities). “If you’re talking about a real palm,” says Handcock, “then cat palm might be your palm of choice [because] it tolerates lower light levels…and average household temperatures.” To learn more about the cat palm, ponytail palm and numerous other attractive varieties, read on.
1. Parlor Palm (Chamaedorea elegans)
The Sill
- Light/Sun Exposure: bright, indirect
- Water Requirements: every one to two weeks, ensuring the soil dries out between waterings
- Plant Size: 2 to 4 feet
- Pet-Friendly: yes
The parlor palm—a member of the same family as coconut and date trees—is a lush little number that will transform any space into a tropical paradise. It’s also a very easygoing plant that can tolerate low light and generally takes well to indoor conditions. When watered every one to two weeks and repotted once a year, your parlor palm can grow to be a 6-foot tall showstopper in time. (Not too shabby, right?)
2. Fishtail Palm (Caryota Mitis)
PlantVine
- Light/Sun Exposure: bright, indirect
- Water Requirements: water every few days or whenever the soil feels dry to the touch
- Plant Size: 6 to 10 feet
- Pet-Friendly: no
Eye-catching clusters of triangular, bipinnate leaves give this palm a truly unique appearance. Aside from its obvious aesthetic appeal, the fishtail palm is also a popular choice due to the fact that it requires very little light and adapts readily to indoor conditions. In fact, you can grow this guy in a bathroom, laundry room or pretty much anywhere else in your home, provided you keep the temperature above 60 degrees Fahrenheit and its soil moist.
3. Cat Palm (Chamaedorea cataractarum)
Costa Farms
- Light/Sun Exposure: bright, indirect
- Water Requirements: every one to two weeks or whenever the top two inches of soil feels dry to the touch
- Plant Size: 3 to 6 feet tall and wide
- Pet-Friendly: yes
Glossy, dark green fronds extend dramatically from the small shoots of this tropical palm, giving it a lush and full appearance that will elevate any indoor space. The cat palm can grow to be up to 6 feet tall, but if you prefer a more understated look for your interior, you can keep the growth under control with regular pruning. Either way, be sure to place your cat palm in bright, indirect sunlight and water it such that the soil stays consistently moist but never soggy.
4. Yucca Palm (Yucca gigantea)
PlantVine
- Light/Sun Exposure: bright, indirect
- Water Requirements: every 12 days or whenever the soil feels completely dry to the touch
- Plant Size: anywhere from 2 to 8 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide
- Pet-Friendly: no
The yucca palm, with its thick trunk and tough green foliage, is like a miniature Beverly Hills palm tree in a pot. When grown indoors, it’s best to keep this plant out of direct sunlight, which can cause discoloration of the leaves. Instead, opt for a spot with partial shade or bright, indirect light. Also, good news for negligent plant parents: The yucca palm is drought-resistant and actually prefers to be kept relatively dry—so be sure to pot it in well-draining soil and water it only when the soil is bone-dry.
5. Majesty Palm (Ravenea rivularis)
The Sill
- Light/Sun Exposure: bright to medium, indirect light
- Water Requirements: every one to two weeks, or when soil has dried out to about halfway down
- Plant Size: 3 to 4 feet tall and up to 10 feet tall when fully mature
- Pet-Friendly: yes
This attractive palm features graceful, feathery fronds and an easygoing nature that makes it a breeze to care for indoors. The majesty palm is a shade-tolerant plant, but it does best when given plenty of bright, indirect or direct light. Humidity is also important to maintaining the health of a majesty palm, and thus requires consistently moist soil and a relatively humid spot in your house—perhaps in the kitchen or bathroom, and definitely away from radiators. When properly cared for, a majesty palm can grow up to a staggering 10 feet in height. That said, it’s worth noting that this is a slow-growing palm, so you needn’t worry about it overwhelming your interior any time soon.
6. Kentia Palm (Howea forsteriana)
Wekiva Foliage
- Light/Sun Exposure: indirect or filtered light
- Water Requirements: every one to two weeks, or whenever the top two inches of the soil are bone dry
- Plant Size: 4 to 6 feet tall and up to 10 feet tall when fully mature
- Pet-Friendly: yes
This Victorian-era stunner boasts wide, dark green leaflets that can grow up to a foot in length, and a lush, exotic look that deserves to be on display. Although it needs a little space, the kentia palm is a slow-grower, nevertheless—a fact that accounts for its popularity as a houseplant. (Hint: This palm doesn’t require yearly repotting.) The kentia palm is known to be a forgiving plant, but it’s happiest when potted in well-draining soil, placed in low or indirect light, and watered whenever the topsoil is dry to the touch.
7. Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea seifrizii)
Bloomscape
- Light/Sun Exposure: bright, indirect or filtered light
- Water Requirements: every one to two weeks, or whenever the top two inches of the soil are bone dry
- Plant Size: 4 to 7 feet tall
- Pet-Friendly: yes
Don’t be fooled by the name—the bamboo palm is not actually related to real bamboo, which grows in tropical and subtropical regions throughout South America and Southeast Asia. That said, the bamboo palm (which is native to the forests of Mexico and Central America) does prefer the same temperate conditions as its namesake and can thrive in low light conditions, though it prefers bright, indirect light. This type of palm is sensitive to the seasons, so it’s best to water it more frequently during the warmer months and less often in the winter. If you follow the aforementioned care advice, the dense reed-like foliage and impressive height (up to 7 feet) of the bamboo palm is sure to make a big impression.
8. Chinese Fan Palm (Livistona chinesis)
PlantVine
- Light/Sun Exposure: bright, indirect light
- Water Requirements: every nine days or when the top half of the soil feels dry to the touch
- Plant Size: 4 to 8 feet tall for indoor dwarf varieties
- Pet-Friendly: yes
This type of palm gets its name from the unique appearance of its large, green fronds, which fan out in a dramatic fashion. Needless to say, the breathtaking foliage of the Chinese fan palm requires some open space as it can grow to be 15 feet tall, and its fronds can spread to a width of 4 feet. Still, there are dwarf cultivars available to those who don’t have the space for a monster houseplant, but still appreciate the unique aesthetic of this palm. All varieties benefit from a thorough watering whenever the topsoil is dry to the touch and should be planted in a large grow pot that can accommodate the long taproot.
9. Areca Palm (Dypsis lutescens)
United Nursery
- Light/Sun Exposure: medium to bright, indirect light
- Water Requirements: every one to two weeks depending on the season
- Plant Size: 4 to 12 feet tall
- Pet-Friendly: yes
This tropical palm boasts soft, beautiful fronds and can grow between 4 and 12 feet tall. Best of all, this statement piece is particularly easy to maintain indoors, as it thrives in and actually prefers low light settings. That said, it’s important to keep the soil moderately moist and feed the plant some fertilizer once a month so it can reach its full potential. Bonus: The Areca palm acts as a natural air purifier, removing pollutants from the environment and making your home a healthier place in the process.
10. Lady Palm (Rhapis excelsa)
Wekiva Foliage
- Light/Sun Exposure: bright, indirect light or filtered light
- Water Requirements: every seven to nine days depending on the season
- Plant Size: 3 to 6 feet tall
- Pet-Friendly: yes
The lady palm is an oh-so elegant houseplant with an eye-pleasing combination of green and variegated, slender fronds. This one is sure to lend loads of visual interest to your interior, and it’s blessedly easy to care for to boot. This one will do just fine in indirect light—just be sure to avoid overwatering, whilst still keeping the soil consistently moist.
11. Ponytail Palm (Beaucarnea recurvata)
Bloomscape
- Light/Sun Exposure: bright, direct or indirect light
- Water Requirements: every two to four weeks or when the top two inches of the soil is completely dry
- Plant Size: typically 3 to 4 feet tall indoors, but sometimes up to 6 feet tall
- Pet-Friendly: yes
The ponytail palm is slow-growing, drought-resistant and exceedingly easy to care for…it’s also not technically a palm at all. That’s right—this popular houseplant is, in fact, a succulent, belonging to the agave family and native to the Mexican desert. As such, the ponytail palm is a sun-loving plant that benefits from minimal watering (once every two weeks should suffice) and loads of direct or indirect light. When it comes to keeping a ponytail palm in top form, regular removal of crispy, brown leaves is also recommended.
12. Sago Palm (Cycas revoluta)
Tropical Plants of Florida
- Light/Sun Exposure: bright, direct or indirect, filtered light
- Water Requirements: every five to nine days or when the top two inches of the soil is completely dry
- Plant Size: 3 to 8 feet tall
- Pet-Friendly: no
Here, another fake out for you—the sago is not a true palm, but rather a distant relative of conifers. Nevertheless, its textured trunk and stiff, feathery fronds make it easy to mistake this plant for a palm. The sago palm doesn’t take as kindly to low light as some others on our list, but it doesn’t demand full sun, either. The best spot for this slow-growing houseplant is one in which it gets filtered or indirect sun for at least four hours a day (preferably more). Irrigate your sago palm regularly to ensure the soil stays consistently moist, but only water when the topsoil is completely dry, lest you overdo it.
Indoor Palm Plant Care Tips
If you’re in need of some additional advice when it comes to keeping a palm plant alive, we have a list of general care tips, courtesy of the horticulturist expert.
- The more light the better. Per Hancock, “while some palms can tolerate lower light levels, they all prefer to be within about four feet from a large, unobstructed east- or west-facing window.”
- Average to above average humidity works best for nearly all palm species.
- Average household temperatures are just fine for all palms, but it’s wise to keep your plant away from cold drafts or dry heat sources, both of which can cause the fronds to yellow or brown.
- Watering needs vary considerably depending on the species and its native environment, so when determining a watering schedule it’s best to first identify the specific type of palm you have and proceed from there.
Summary
As an indoor houseplant, palms can make quite a statement. They’re typically on the larger side and their ample fronds add visual appeal to any room. They’re also quite easy to care for and adapt well to indoor environments. That said, it’s important to give them plenty of bright indirect light and follow the watering instructions for your specific species of palm carefully.
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