A delightful fan palm, with large, thick leaves, that are wider than many other palms and blunt tipped. Rhapis excelsa bears rhizome offshoots, leading to clusters of upright stems, perfect for a flourish of lush interior greenery. Thick fibres envelop new stems, these fall away in time to reveal bamboo-like trunks, and give the palm its other common name: Bamboo Palm.
Rhapis excelsa is a versatile slow growing palm that adapts extremely well to being grown indoors in a container. It is not fussy about light or humidity, being one of the more shade tolerant palms. What’s more, Rhapis excelsa is number two on the list of top houseplants for removing unwanted pollutants from the surrounding air according to Dr Wolverton/NASA study (with the Areca Palm being number 1). All in all, the perfect, well-behaved indoor palm!
Horty Hints
Shade bathing! Thrives in lower light conditions. If the leaves start to lighten and turn yellowish, try moving the palm to a more shaded location.
Rhapis excelsa leaves often have brown tips, which can be trimmed if required, however avoid cutting into the green flesh of the leaf.
Balancing act! The majority of the Lady Palm's roots are found at the very bottom of the pot, so in order to avoid root rot, and ensure the plant doesn't dry-out - make sure to water when the soil on top begins to dry.