Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea seifrizii)

Bamboo palm (Chamaedorea seifrizii) is an evergreen palm tree that will grow to 2 m tall. It has long, bamboo-like canes and grows in dense clusters. Thrives in light sun to shade and is best when grown indoors. Produces a red fruit that, when handled, can irritate the skin.

I. Appearance and Characteristics

Chamaedorea seifrizii is a species of palm referred to as bamboo palm, parlor palm, or reed palm. It is a subtropical palm that grows up to 20 feet tall, and is commonly used as a houseplant. The evergreen leaves are pinnately divided, and yellow flowers are borne on a panicle. The fruit are small, round, and black.

Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea seifrizii)
Chamaedorea seifrizii Alexis López Hernández CC BY 4.0

Native to Mexico and Central America, it grows in disturbed forest habitats and in mesic soils over limestone. The species has been introduced to Florida where it is grown as a hedge plant. It has been found to escape cultivation.

The species is named for botanist William Seifriz.

II. How to Grow and Care

Sunlight

Bamboo palm is not demanding when it comes to sunlight. It naturally grows in the rainforest understory, so it’s accustomed to bright indirect light. If grown under full sunlight, the plant will most likely develop burns and start to wilt. On the other hand, bamboo palm can tolerate full shade as long as it has enough water and nutrients. However, optimal light conditions for it are filtered light and partial shade.

If grown indoors, it is best to put your bamboo palm near sunny windows. If it’s placed in a shaded area, it will grow slowly. If it starts growing long stems with tiny weaves, that is a sign that the plant is not receiving enough light, so it should be moved to a sunnier spot.

Temperature & Humidity

Like other palms, bamboo palms enjoy warm temperatures and medium relative humidity. The average house temperature is probably fine, however, you may need to supplement humidity by placing the plant near a humidifier, misting the leaves daily or placing the container atop a sauce filled with pebbles.

Watering

Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea seifrizii)
竹莖椰子 Chamaedorea seifrizii [香港迪欣湖 Inspiration Lake, Hong Kong] 阿橋花譜 KHQ Flower Guide CC BY-SA 2.0

Bamboo palm favors a moist environment but not damping soil. It is moderately tolerant of drought, so forgetting to water them won’t be detrimental to its growth. During the summer, it needs to be watered once a week, so that the root ball doesn’t dry out. The proper time to add water is when the top few inches of soil are completely dry. This can be tested by inserting a finger into the substrate. Water should be stopped when it starts running out of drain holes at the bottom of the pot. Spraying water now and then can create a high air humidity for them.

Soil

Bamboo palm can naturally grow on a variety of soils – sandy, loam and clay, but the only important condition is that the soil doesn’t retain water and has good drainage, otherwise the plant might suffer from root rot. It can grow in soils with pH 5-7.5. If grown outdoors, bamboo palm can be planted in a variety of different soil types, as long as they are not that salty. When it comes to potting mediums, using only commercial potting soils is not a very good idea, because they tend to be heavy. The problem is solved by adding some material that provides better drainage – coarse sand, peat, perlite or similar, and mixing it with the potting mix in a ratio 1:1.

Fertilizing

Most growers use a granular, slow-release fertilizer in growing their palms.

Seifrizii and other types of palms are sensitive to excess fertilizer salts (aka soluble salts).

Remove the time-release fertilizer from the top of the pot and leach the soil thoroughly with lukewarm water.

Provide monthly feedings in the spring and summertime using high nitrogen, liquid houseplant fertilizer diluted to half-strength. Fertilizer that is too strong may burn the roots.

Don’t fertilize at all during the autumn and winter months when your plant should be nearly dormant.

If planted outdoors, Bamboo Palms need excellent drainage. Allow the soil to dry completely before soaking thoroughly. Water early in the morning or early in the evening to prevent excessive evaporation of precious water.

Fertilize once early in the springtime and once in midsummer with a half-strength liquid fertilizer.

You may also use a time-release fertilizer for your bamboo palms during their growing season.

Pruning

Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea seifrizii)
Chamaedorea seifrizii johnyochum CC BY 4.0

Pruning is not recommended and shouldn’t be performed on bamboo palm, because it grows from terminal buds. Removing these will cause the already slow-growing plant to stop growing entirely. However, if there are any dead leaves or flowers, they can be safely removed. Removing wilted or dead inflorescences and leaves should be performed during the resting season using pruning shears.

Propagation

Bamboo palms are sensitive to trauma and can be tricky to propagate. Mature bamboo palms produce offshoots that can be separated and established as new plants.

Use a clean, sharp knife to separate offshoots from the mother plant. If the offshoots have their own root systems (which they should), ensure that you separate those as well. Pot the offshoots in loamy, well-draining soil and keep them in a consistently humid environment until established (approximately 2-3 months).

Potting and Repotting

Bamboo palms should be repotted once they have outgrown their previous container. They tend to be slow-growing so you should not need to repot them too often. Keep in mind that the plant will grow as large as the pot you give it—so if you want to keep your bamboo palm small, don’t increase the pot size very much when you repot. This will help to control the size of the palm.

Overwintering

If you are growing a bamboo palm indoors as a houseplant, ease off the water and stop fertilizing altogether during the winter months.

Outdoor bamboo palms dislike cold and wet conditions and will not survive. If you are growing them in containers outside, move them indoors to overwinter them.

There is a more hardy bamboo palm, Chamaedorea microspadix, which can survive freezing temps below 23 F (-5 C).

Pests and Diseases

Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea seifrizii)
Chamaedorea seifrizii Jay Horn CC BY 4.0

Like many houseplants, Bamboo palms may be plagued by mealy bugs, spider mites, white flies, aphids, and/or scales. These can usually be avoided with proper watering, ventilation, and correct humidity levels.

If your plants are bothered by these pests, try eradicating them with a Neem oil or insecticidal soap solution.

Be sure to clean the area surrounding the plant before you begin treatment. All of these pests can hide in cracks and crevices on tabletops, flowerpots, etc.

Your initial application should be made with a clean cloth or sponge soaked in the solution. Wipe all the leaves clean of the pests. Use cotton swabs to apply the solution in cracks and crevices.

Subsequently, give the plant a good misting with the solution every day for a week. This should resolve your problem.

At the end of the week, you may wish to finish up by giving your plant a shower with a fairly strong stream of water to wash off any remaining pests and rinse off the residual of the solution.

Palms grown indoors can experience attacks from mealybugs and problems with spider mite infestations.

Spider mites love the dry conditions in homes and offices and hide on the undersides of leaves.

To prevent spider mite infestation, be sure to keep humidity levels fairly high. You can use a humidifier and/or pebble tray and mist your plants daily to keep humidity levels up.

Excessive watering and/or overcrowding can also lead to plant diseases like fungal infections, sooty mold, and/or viral infections, such as rust. Prevent these with proper care and hygiene.

III. Uses and Benefits

Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea seifrizii)
Chamaedorea seifrizii Isaac Chacón CC BY 4.0

As an outdoor plant in a tropical setting, Bamboo Palms do well in a large container on a porch or patio. It makes a nice specimen display, landscape plant, and it can also be used to create a dramatic and interesting hedge.

Bamboo Palm is a hardy, affordable palm that makes a great choice in a wide variety of indoor settings where lighting and temperature are moderate and consistent.

It is frequently used as an office or mall plant, and makes a nice addition to any room that can provide bright, filtered lighting and a comfortable temperature.

The plant is one of several that were used in the NASA clean air study in the mid-to-late 20th Century.

Find Where to Buy the Best Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea seifrizii)

$35.00
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Plantvine.com
€52.46
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Palmcentre.co.uk
€54.95
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Thepalmtreecompany.com
$92.10
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Noahgardencentre.com.sg
$149.00
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Truegreennursery.com.au
* Delivery cost shown at checkout.
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