Chamaedorea

Family. Arecaceae or Palms.

Homeland of the plant. Mexico, Guatemala.

Description. An evergreen low palm with several thin, graceful trunks.

The crown is formed by lush, feathery, complex leaves up to 60 cm long, consisting of many alternately arranged narrow-lanceolate segments.

Leaf segments  are glossy, green, 10 - 15 cm long, with longitudinal parallel veins. The edges of the leaf segments may be forked in some varieties.

The inflorescences are branched, drooping or erect, and consist of numerous yellow flowers. Male and female flowers are on different trees, meaning that these palms are dioecious plants.

After flowering, female specimens produce small round fruits.

In some species of chamedorea, aerial roots may appear in the lower part of the trunk with age.

The second name is bamboo palm, the plant received the external resemblance of its thin, graceful stems to bamboo shoots.

Height. The palm tree grows slowly at home and often does not exceed 1 m. In their natural habitat, these trees can reach 5 m in height. There are miniature varieties, the height of which reaches only a few tens of centimeters.

Care at home

Palm tree propagation, growing from seeds

Bush-like specimens are propagated by division during transplantation, and each division must have a well-developed root system and at least 3 leaves. 

Adult chamedoreas, receiving good care and kept in suitable conditions, often form small basal shoots around themselves.

When such daughter plants form a sufficiently strong root system, they are planted in separate containers. Usually this procedure is carried out during spring transplantation. 

It can be grown from seeds, but only fresh seeds should be used for planting, as they quickly lose their germination over time.

Even freshly collected seeds often have poor germination, so the planting material must undergo certain pre-sowing treatment.

The process of seed propagation is long and takes several years - even the germination period can take up to six months.

1. The seeds are pre-soaked in warm water for a day.
2. From the softened grains, carefully, using tweezers, you can remove the outer soft shell.
3. Under this shell, chamaedorea seeds still have a small rough layer, which must be scarified before planting - lightly scraped with sandpaper or a file. Such preliminary procedures will increase the germination of seeds after planting.
4. Planting is carried out in spring in loose, nutritious and well-moistened soil, sprinkled with a layer of earth about 1 cm thick.
5. The seedlings are kept in a warm place at a temperature of at least 24° C under cover of transparent polyethylene film, glass or a plastic cap.
6. The use of bottom heating can speed up germination and increase seed germination.
7. With the appearance of the first shoots, it is necessary to arrange daily ventilation - raise the shelter for a few minutes every day, removing condensation from its surface. Gradually, the ventilation time is increased, accustoming young plants to the new atmosphere.
8. During germination, maintain uniform substrate moisture using a fine spray bottle.
9. Remember that young, tender leaves should not be exposed to sunlight - place containers with crops in a brightly lit place without access to direct sunlight.

The first picking into small separate pots is carried out when several leaves appear. Young palm trees are planted not one at a time, but 2 - 3 plants in one pot - this way you can get a denser crown.

Transplantation

The tree prefers cramped conditions, so when replanting it is often not necessary to change the size of the pot or tub.

Adult specimens are replanted every 2-3 years in the spring to replace the soil with a fresh mixture. For tub plants, the top 5-7 cm of soil is replaced with fresh soil annually.

When replanting, try to disturb the root system as little as possible - use transshipment. When transshipping, the flower is moved to a new pot along with the old lump of earth, without destroying it.

Chamaedorea does not like frequent replanting - do it only if necessary - when fresh soil is needed or root tips appear in the drainage holes of the tub.

The root system is deep, so a deep container is suitable for planting. The growing pot should have fairly large drainage holes.

The tubs should be heavy - after all, a large plant can tip over under its own weight. Sometimes, to make the tubs heavier, they even put a brick on the bottom.

1. At the bottom of the planting container, place a sufficient layer of drainage material in the form of expanded clay, broken bricks or clay shards.
2. Remove the plant from the old container and carefully inspect the root system.
3. If necessary, cut off all rotten and diseased roots with a sharp and sterile pruner, sprinkling the cut areas with crushed charcoal.
4. Place the flower in the new container in the center and sprinkle the perimeter with fresh potting mix.
5. To remove air pockets, the soil is thoroughly compacted.
6. After transplanting, water abundantly, completely wetting the soil.
7. If necessary - if the soil has settled a lot, add a small amount of substrate.

You should not offer seedlings a pot that is too large - excess soil that is not used by the root system will accumulate moisture and turn sour, which will lead to the development of root rot.

After replanting, do not expose the palm tree to direct sunlight.

Feeding should also be done only a month after planting. This is due to the fact that there are already enough nutrients in fresh soil, and possible damage to the root system will receive burns from the effects of the nutrient solution. 

How to care 

Chamaedorea is one of the most unpretentious palms indoors; it feels great with minimal care.

The plant will appreciate being outdoors during the warm season. If you take the palm outside in the summer months, take care to provide shelter from strong winds, rain and direct sunlight and gradually acclimatize the chamaedorea to new living conditions.

Wipe the leaves with a soft damp sponge from time to time to remove dust.

Trim off old yellowed leaves that appear under the crown.

When pruning, do not touch the top. Palms have a single growth point at the top of the trunk, and if it is damaged, the tree will simply die.

With good care, flower stalks are formed, and this can happen at any time of the year. Some gardeners advise pinching them in a timely manner so that the palm does not waste energy on flowering and fruit formation.

Chamaedorea does not like its roots to be overcooled - in the winter months, place the tub on a sheet of insulation.

When it blooms 

Unlike most indoor palms, it blooms profusely in spring or summer.

The first flowering occurs in specimens that are 3-4 years old.

Diseases and pests

• Palms can get sunburned if exposed to direct sunlight for too long.
• Leaves turn yellow if the substrate is too cold or has too many nutrients.
• Chamaedorea loses leaves and rots if there is insufficient drainage and overwatering.
• Brown leaf tips indicate insufficient air humidity or prolonged drying of the soil.
• When watering with hard tap water, chlorosis appears on the leaves. With this disease, segments turn yellow, and the veins remain dark - change the soil to a more acidic one and water with a solution of iron chelate.
• Leaf spotting and fungal diseases appear when kept in a cool room with high air humidity and insufficient air circulation.
• If the root system is overcooled or there is a sharp change in temperature, leaf segments become flaccid and darken.
• Due to watering with tap water, leaves can darken and become covered with brown spots.

Pests include spider mites, mealybugs, whiteflies, and scale insects. Trees infested with spider mites develop fine, almost invisible webbing. Scale insects appear as small, elongated growths on brown leaves. Mealybugs are identified by the appearance of a small, white, fluffy coating on the leaves.

Watering 

The frequency of watering will depend on temperature, air humidity and time of year.

Keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy during the warmer months when the palm tree is actively growing. Limit watering in the fall - dry the substrate a few centimeters deep between waterings.

During the winter months, simply do not allow the earthen ball to dry out.

Remove excess moisture that has accumulated in the tray after watering.

For watering, it is advisable to use softened water - for example, bottled or rainwater; you can also water the plants with filtered water. 

Soil 

Well-drained soil with a sufficient content of coarse river sand and a neutral or slightly acidic pH.

A mixture based on peat with the addition of leaf humus, sphagnum moss, turf soil, pine bark and small pieces of charcoal is suitable for growing chamaedorea.

Adding a small amount of finely chopped pine needles to the mixture will help maintain the required acidic soil pH. 

The substrate must allow water and air to pass through well.

Fertilizer 

Feed with liquid fertilizer every two weeks from early spring to mid-autumn.

In the autumn months, the frequency of fertilizing is reduced and during the winter dormant period it is stopped altogether. The fact is that at this time the plant stops its development and does not need a large amount of nutrients.

Resume fertilizing with the first signs of new growth that appear in the spring.

Apply the nutrient solution only after abundant watering, into moist soil. This way the root system of the palm tree will not get burned from using an overly concentrated nutrient solution.

Trees respond positively to foliar feeding - when the nutrient solution is applied directly to the leaves using a sprayer.

Foliar fertilizers with a high nitrogen content will help maintain the attractive appearance of leaves and speed up the formation of new ones.

Lighting 

Ideally, it is necessary to provide 2 hours of direct sunlight every day.

Shading is necessary on hot summer days, when solar activity is too high. Chamaedorea can take sunbaths only in the morning and evening hours.

The palm is successfully grown under artificial lighting with fluorescent lamps or phytolamps, which allows it to be placed in spacious hotel lobbies and office premises. With the help of artificial lighting in the autumn and winter months, the duration of daylight increases to 10-12 hours per day.

Some species can tolerate partial shade, but such varieties should also be periodically moved closer to the light.

If possible, turn the tub a quarter turn every week so that it develops symmetrically.

The most suitable for placement are considered to be western and eastern windows.

Temperature

The plant tolerates a fairly wide range of temperatures. During the period of active growth, it can be kept at a temperature of 18 - 24 ° C.

In the winter months, it is advisable to provide a cool dormant period at a temperature of 13-15 ° C, but the bush can be content with warm conditions all year round.

In the winter months, do not expose the palm to temperatures below 12 ° C - the palm may stop developing and even shed its leaves.

Contrary to popular belief, Chamaedorea does not like strong summer heat. The tree does not like sudden changes in temperature - accustom the plants to all changes gradually.

Air humidity

It tolerates the usual home atmosphere in spring and summer, but with the onset of the heating season, if the air becomes too dry, it is worth increasing the air humidity.

Place the pot on a tray with wet pebbles or use a humidifier and spray the leaves in the morning. It is important to remember that the higher the humidity level you maintain, the more air movement there should be.

Only softened water at room temperature is suitable for spraying. Tap water can leave unsightly whitish stains.

To increase the air humidity, you can use a layer of sphagnum moss, which is well moistened and covered with a palm pot. Evaporating from its surface, the water will naturally humidify the atmosphere around the chamedorea for a long time.

A decorative fountain or a small pond will increase the air humidity well.

Chamaedorea does not tolerate cold drafts - when airing in winter, take young specimens to another room, and protect large adult trees with some kind of shelter.

Do not place the flower near heating devices and air conditioners.

In the warm season, it responds positively to a warm shower with a water temperature of about 35 ° C. During the shower, the soil should be covered with plastic film to prevent hard tap water from getting into it.

Buying a Palm Tree

When purchasing a plant, special attention should be paid to its appearance.

The flower should have glossy, dark green, elastic leaves. Leaf segments and stems should be whole and not broken.

If there is the slightest suspicion of a fungal disease or the presence of insect pests, it is better to organize a quarantine or refuse to buy.

Remember that chamedoreas in nurseries receive proper care and are fed with special nutrient mixtures, which helps to get a very attractive tree. The palm can react extremely negatively to a change in living conditions.

After purchase, the flower should be left in quarantine for a couple of weeks - place it in a semi-dark and warm place, away from other plants.

There is no need to immediately change any maintenance conditions, the first transplant is carried out only after a month - do not expose the palm to unnecessary stress.

How to distinguish chamaedorea from howea

• Unlike Howea, Chamaedorea grows much more slowly and even adult palms have very modest sizes, while Howea, even when grown indoors, can reach a height of 3 - 4 meters.
• Chamaedorea easily blooms indoors even at a young age, while Howea requires several years for this.
• Chamaedorea petioles bear leaf segments mainly in the upper part, while Howea often has them along almost the entire length of the petiole.

Purpose

Landscaping large and bright rooms - chamaedorea must be provided with sufficient space for development. 

Note

Palm fruits contain toxins.

It is believed that chamaedorea is able to purify the air in the room where it is located from many carcinogenic substances. 

Varieties:

Chamaedorea elegans

A small graceful palm tree, 60 to 90 cm high, with thin, flexible trunks. The leaves are complex, gracefully arched, on long petioles, pinnate, and consist of narrow, linear segments arranged alternately. The segments are dark green, glossy, entire, reaching a length of 8 - 20 cm. In their natural habitat, plants form drooping inflorescences with many small, yellow flowers, which over time turn into round berries. When grown indoors, flowering rarely occurs. 

Chamaedorea Brydbl

Slow-growing, graceful, multi-stemmed palm tree with a height of 90 cm to 3 m. The stems are thin, erect, green. The leaves are pinnate, curved, and consist of glossy, narrow, linear segments arranged alternately. The inflorescence is a branched raceme with small yellow flowers. 

Chamaedorea Adscendens​

Compact palm with a single vertical trunk. The plant reaches a height of 2.5 m. The leaves are pinnate, green, curved, on long petioles. The leaf segments are quite wide, lanceolate, and alternately arranged. The inflorescences are small drooping racemes, abundantly covered with small yellow flowers. Over time, the flowers turn into small, round, black berries. 

Chamaedorea Elatior​

Large palm trees with a single trunk up to 20 m high. The stems are smooth, green, glossy, sometimes climbing other large trees. The leaves are pinnate, curved, with many narrow, linear segments. The segments are dark green and arranged in opposite pairs. The inflorescence is a drooping dash, abundantly branched panicle with small yellow flowers. After flowering, round black berries appear on the plants. 

Chamaedorea Metallica​

Single palms with green, thin, erect stems 2 - 3 m high and only up to 1.5 cm in diameter. The leaves are dark green, with a silvery coating, pinnate, on long, thin petioles. Some leaves are divided into only 2 parts and resemble a fish tail. The leaf blades reach a length of 30 cm. The branched, drooping inflorescences bear many small yellow, dark purple or red flowers. Over time, the plants form small black berries. 

Chamaedorea Seifrizii​

An attractive multi-stemmed pinnate palm tree up to 6 m high. The stems are thin, dark green, glossy, reminiscent of bamboo. The leaves are compound, consisting of many opposite, glossy, linear segments. Together with the petiole, the length of the leaves can reach 60 - 90 cm. Leaf segments grow up to 40 cm. Small drooping inflorescences bear golden-yellow flowers, which turn into red or black round berries.