Parlour palm

Chamaedorea elegans

A small palm with fine, light fronds, discreet and easy-going, for tables, desks and bedrooms.

Light: Partial shade
Water: Moderate watering
Care: Easy
Heat: Moderate heat
Pets: Pet-safe

At a glance

Botanical name: Chamaedorea elegans
Also known as: Palmier de salon · Parlor palm · Palmier nain du Mexique · Neanthe bella
Mature height: 90 to 150 cm
Growth: Slow growth
Environments: Indoor · Office · Terrace
Pets: Pet-safe

Care

What this plant needs

For each area, the instruction specific to this plant, then the general principle that explains why.

Water

For this plant

Water when the surface is dry, every seven to ten days; never leave water standing at the bottom of the pot.

The principle

A moderate need asks for regularity rather than volume. Water when the top three to four centimetres feel dry: in practice weekly from May to September, every ten to fifteen days the rest of the year. Adjust for the pot — terracotta dries twice as fast as fibreglass.

Light

For this plant

Medium to low indirect light. It scorches in full sun.

The principle

Partial shade is bright but filtered light: a metre back from a glazed door, behind a sheer curtain, or morning sun only. It is the broadest and easiest exposure to achieve in a Moroccan interior. Direct afternoon sun, by contrast, leaves irreversible bleached patches on the leaf.

Feeding

For this plant

Diluted feed every six weeks in spring and summer.

The principle

A slow grower consumes little: two or three half-strength feeds between April and August are enough. Over-feeding does not speed it up — it burns the roots and leaves a white crust on the substrate. Repotting every three years renews most of its reserves.

Temperature

For this plant

From 14 to 30 °C; tolerates air-conditioned rooms.

The principle

This plant is comfortable between 15 and 30 °C, the range of a Moroccan interior all year. Above 35 °C, move it out of direct sun and water more often without watering more heavily. The most common enemy is not the heat but the dry stream of an air conditioner aimed at the foliage.

Yearly rhythm

Indicative calendar

Calendar derived from the plant's profile — water need, heat tolerance, environment and growth rate — applied to the Moroccan climate; adjust it to your city, your exposure and your substrate.

Indicative twelve-month care calendar
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Watering	Watering in January: Reduced	Watering in February: Reduced	Watering in March: Regular	Watering in April: Regular	Watering in May: Regular	Watering in June: Sustained	Watering in July: Sustained	Watering in August: Sustained	Watering in September: Sustained	Watering in October: Regular	Watering in November: Reduced	Watering in December: Reduced
Feeding	Feeding in January: Nothing to do	Feeding in February: Nothing to do	Feeding in March: Reduced	Feeding in April: Reduced	Feeding in May: Reduced	Feeding in June: Reduced	Feeding in July: Reduced	Feeding in August: Reduced	Feeding in September: Reduced	Feeding in October: Nothing to do	Feeding in November: Nothing to do	Feeding in December: Nothing to do
Pruning	Pruning in January: Nothing to do	Pruning in February: Nothing to do	Pruning in March: Regular	Pruning in April: Reduced	Pruning in May: Nothing to do	Pruning in June: Nothing to do	Pruning in July: Nothing to do	Pruning in August: Nothing to do	Pruning in September: Reduced	Pruning in October: Nothing to do	Pruning in November: Nothing to do	Pruning in December: Nothing to do

IntensityNothing to doReducedRegularSustained

Morocco

Where this plant thrives in Morocco

Our observations city by city, crossed with the local climate. A city that is missing is not a refusal: it simply has not been documented for this plant yet.

Thrives

Casablancacoastal · moderate humidity · 33 °C in summer, 7 °C in winter
Rabatcoastal · moderate humidity · 33 °C in summer, 6 °C in winter
Tangiercoastal · humid air · 31 °C in summer, 8 °C in winter

Well suited

Agadircoastal · moderate humidity · 34 °C in summer, 8 °C in winter
Marrakechinland · dry air · 45 °C in summer, 4 °C in winter
Fezinland · dry air · 42 °C in summer, 2 °C in winter
Mohammediacoastal · moderate humidity · 32 °C in summer, 7 °C in winter
Kenitracoastal · moderate humidity · 36 °C in summer, 5 °C in winter

Possible with care

Oujdainland · dry air · 41 °C in summer, 1 °C in winter
Laayounecoastal · dry air · 42 °C in summer, 9 °C in winter

We deliver to all of these cities.

Diagnosis

Three signals worth reading

The three most common disorders on a plant with this profile, and the move that corrects them.

1
What you see
Dry brown leaf tips and edges, foliage that droops late in the day and recovers overnight.
Likely cause
Alternating neglect and compensation: the root ball dries out completely, then receives too much at once.
The right move
Fix one watering day a week and check with a finger before you pour. Trim brown parts with scissors, following the leaf's shape; they will not turn green again.
2
What you see
Bleached then brown patches in the middle of the most exposed leaves.
Likely cause
Direct afternoon sun through glass — the magnifying effect scorches the blade in a matter of hours.
The right move
Pull it back a metre or hang a sheer curtain. Marked leaves will not repair, but the next ones will be clean; remove them only if more than half is scorched.
3
What you see
Grey dust on the foliage, growth slowing with no obvious cause.
Likely cause
A dusty blade captures markedly less light, and city dust in Morocco builds up fast.
The right move
Wipe the leaves with a damp sponge every month, upper and lower surfaces. Avoid leaf-shine products, which block the stomata.

Sage green bedroom with hanging pothos, rattan pendant, orange pillows and a corner palm in a basket

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Parlour palmFrom190 DHAvailable

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