MINIATURE DATE PALM

PHOENIX ROEBELENII

If you’re in search of a really classic palm, the miniature date palm is an excellent choice. Its textured stem, elegant fronds, and architectural silhouette make it an almost unbeatable statement in a home. To show it off, choose a large room with filtered sunlight and moderate humidity.

HEIGHT 6ft (1.8m)

SPREAD 5ft (1.5m)

FLOWERS Insignificant

FOLIAGE Feathery fronds

LIGHT Filtered sun/light shade

TEMPERATURE 50–75°F (10–24°C)

CARE Fairly easy

PLACE OF ORIGIN China

CARE

Plant this spectacular palm in a large container filled with enriched potting mix and water it moderately in spring and summer, ensuring that you allow the potting mix to dry out a little on top before rewetting. During this time, feed monthly with a balanced liquid fertilizer, but stop in fall and reduce the water applied over the cooler months. These attractive plants thrive on moderate humidity, so mist your plant weekly.

This palm won’t require pruning, apart from the removal of the bottom leaves if they start to turn yellow. There’s also no need to repot the plant, unless it starts to become root- bound. Instead, simply add a fresh layer of potting mix to the top of the container in spring. Mature plants might produce insignificant yellow flowers, which are followed by small, black fruits.

PROBLEM SOLVING If growing your date palm in a conservatory or a room that has low humidity and high levels of sunlight, scale insects and red spider mites could be an issue. Take an occasional look at the underside of the leaves, where these pests tend to live, and act quickly to remove them.

DISPLAY

This spectacular palm deserves to be the focal point of a room and should never be squashed into a corner. For real impact, place a pair of palms either side of a doorway. If you’ve invested in mature specimens with trunks, give them an underplanting of the rattlesnake plant or the prayer plant. Both these plants enjoy moderate humidity and filtered sunlight, just like the palm.

DK

A mature specimen will instantly change the look and feel of a room.

Houseplants A–Z | MINIATURE DATE PALM

ALSO TRY

Other palms that add immediate impact, height, and stature to a room include:

  • Areca palm (Dypsis lutescens), height 6ft 6in (2m). This is similar in looks to the kentia palm but prefers filtered sunlight.
  • Fishtail palm (Caryota mitis), height 8ft (2.5m). The triangular foliage of this plant looks like a fishtail. It’s more upright than the miniature date palm.
DK

The fishtail palm requires filtered sunlight and moderate humidity.

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