Indoor Palm Plants: 8 Types That Thrive Indoors (and 3 That Won't)

Palms are sold as houseplants more than almost any other plant family, and a good share of them are simply the wrong species for a room. The distinction that decides everything is where the palm evolved — under a rainforest canopy in filtered shade, or out in open sun. Canopy palms adapt happily to a living room. Sun palms do not, and no amount of careful watering changes that. It is worth knowing which one is in the pot before you take it home.

#The palms that genuinely work indoors

The ponytail palm and sago palm are not true palms at all — one is an asparagus relative, the other a cycad. They are sold as palms and behave very differently. The sago palm is also severely toxic to dogs*, causing liver failure; keep it out of a home with pets.

#Areca palm: the default choice

The areca is the palm most people mean when they picture an indoor palm — clustered, soft, feathery, and cheap because it grows quickly in nurseries. It wants bright indirect light within a metre or two of a window, evenly moist soil, and humidity above 40%. In darker rooms it survives but thins, dropping its lower fronds one by one.

• Water when the top 3–4 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 5–7 days in summer.
• Never let it sit in water — arecas rot readily, and root rot in a clumping palm spreads fast.
• Feed at half strength monthly through spring and summer only.
• Repot every two to three years; arecas actually prefer being slightly snug.
• Expect the oldest lower fronds to yellow and die over time. That is normal ageing, not a problem to solve.

#Kentia palm: the one for a darker room

If your room is not especially bright, buy a kentia. It grows naturally on Lord Howe Island under a canopy, tolerates moderate light without complaint, handles dry air better than an areca, and is famously slow — which is why it costs more. That slowness is an advantage indoors: it will hold its shape for years without outgrowing the corner.

#Parlour palm: the small one

The parlour palm survives in genuine low light, stays under 1.2 m, and is the palm to put on a desk, a shelf or in a bathroom. It is also the cheapest, usually sold several seedlings to a pot. Its weakness is dry air: spider mites find parlour palms quickly in a heated winter room, so check the undersides of the fronds monthly.

#Palms to avoid indoors

#Why palm leaves go brown, and what to do

1. Brown, crispy tips on many fronds

   Dry air is the usual cause. Group plants together, use a humidifier, or move the palm away from heating. Misting helps for minutes only.

2. Brown tips plus white crust on the soil

   Fertiliser salt buildup. Flush the pot with water equal to three times its volume, then feed at half the previous strength.

3. Brown tips on a plant watered with tap water

   Palms are sensitive to fluoride and boron. Switch to filtered or collected rainwater and judge by the new fronds.

4. A whole frond yellowing from the bottom up

   If it is the lowest frond and the plant is otherwise growing, this is normal ageing. Cut it at the base.

5. Fine webbing between fronds

   Spider mites. Rinse thoroughly in the shower, then treat with insecticidal soap every 5–7 days for three cycles.

One more practical note, learned the expensive way: palms are usually sold as several seedlings crammed into one pot to look full. Do not try to separate them into individual plants. The root systems are thoroughly intertwined, division sets every piece back badly, and the clump is what makes an indoor palm look good in the first place. If yours looks sparse, the answer is better light rather than more pots. For placement ideas, see our living room plant guide.