Description: Have a low light area in your home or office that needs some green? You say you want a low maintenance but graceful looking palm to show off? Well, it doesn't get any better than the Bamboo Palm.The Bamboo Palm or Reed Palm is a relatively small graceful palm that grows to about 7 feet. Each stem is long and slender with "nodes" very similar in appearance to Bamboo. Although plants are commercially clumped together to form shrub-like specimens, this palm naturally spreads by suckers or offshoots also similar to Bamboo. The stems are tall and have about 10-15 fronds each with about 12 dark green papery-textured pinnate leaves. As the old fronds die, these should be trimmed off and the leaf bases or sheath allowed to dry out. Later these should be removed as this promotes good plant hygiene and exposes the attractive light green "bamboo stem". Although the Bamboo Palm is mostly used indoors as it prefers shade, it can withstand higher light and will produce flowers and fruit in these environments. The flowers arise from the leaf sheaths or covering and are dull yellow in color. Location: The Bamboo palm, like most of the Chamaedorea palms, are native to Mexico and Central America where it thrives as an understory palm. Today this palm is grown in most nurseries and is very common in malls, offices, homes and courtyards. Very easy to grow and maintain. Light: Thrives in low indoor light but can tolerate some sunlight if acclimated. Moisture: Keep evenly moist but not consistently wet.As with most palms, the soil should be well drained. Applying household fertilizer in the summer months will keep these palms green and healthy. Hardiness: The Chamaedorea microspadixcan be grown outdoors in frost-prone areas to USDA Zone 8 with some protection on colder winter nights. Most of the other varieties are hardy to USDA Zones 10 - 12.
Usage: This graceful palm is mainly used as a specimen palm in offices, malls or homes. In warm climates (South Florida, Hawaii and California) it may be used in protected areas outside as a screen, hedge or accent to the landscape. WARNING: The fruits are usually small pea-sized berries that are orange/red in color. Caution should be used with the fruit as it is an irritant to humans! The fruit of the Bamboo Palm is very toxic and should not be consumed!
Click on photo to enlarge Bamboo Palm Chamaedorea microspadix
Click on photo to enlarge Leaf of Bamboo Palm Chamaedorea microspadix
Click on photo to enlarge Bamboo Palm Chamaedorea microspadix
