There are not only different types of indoor palms, which are divided into the two categories feather palm and fan palm, but also so-called palm-like plants or plants. The Yucca, which is incorrectly referred to as a palm tree, also belongs to this category.
What types of indoor palms are there?
The different types of indoor palms include pinnate palms such as the honey palm, mountain palm and Canary Island date palm, as well as fan palms such as the hemp palm and petticoat palm. Palm-like plants such as the yucca, banana tree or the dragon tree are not botanically palm trees.
How do I distinguish between the different types of indoor palms?
An important criterion for classifying and determining indoor palms is the leaf shape. Fan palms and feather palms are differentiated based on their leaves. In fan palms, the leaf blade with which the leaf grows on the trunk extends into several segments. These are sometimes subdivided themselves. The feather palm, on the other hand, has a petiole and many leaf branches (feathers).
A selection of feather palms
The honey palm originally comes from Chile. It requires a lot of light and has medium care requirements. As a hardy palm, it is also suitable for the balcony or terrace. Their fruits are even edible. However, it only blooms when it is around 60 years old.
The easy-care mountain palm is only suitable as a houseplant because it is absolutely not hardy. However, it also needs a little less light than many other palm trees. The rather delicate palm grows to a maximum height of 1.30 m indoors and blooms at around two or three years old.
The Canary Islands date palm is also very easy to care for, but requires a lot of light. After slowly getting used to it, she can happily spend the summer in the garden or on the balcony. However, it is not hardy and needs a bright, frost-free winter quarters.
The most famous feather palms:
- Coconut palm
- Date palm
- Honey palm
- Mountain Palm
A small selection of fan palms
The hardy hemp palm (Trachycarpus fortunei) comes from China. In the wild it grows up to 12 meters high, but as an indoor palm it “only” grows to around 2.5 m. So it requires a lot of space. If it is in the garden, it should be protected from extreme frost. The hemp palm is very easy to care for and therefore suitable for beginners.
The petticoat palm, also known as the priest palm, is also very easy to care for. It needs a lot of light and a winter quarters from around -8 °C if it is used as a garden or balcony plant.
The most popular fan palms:
- Priest Palm or Petticoat Palm (Washingtonia)
- Hemp palm
Palm-like plants
The yucca plant, also often referred to as the yucca palm, does not belong in any of these categories. It is an agave plant, as its growth actually shows. That's why it is also called a palm-like plant.
This group includes plants that are not botanically palm trees, but are commonly referred to as palm trees. The banana tree and the dragon tree also belong to this group, as does the elephant tree. These plants have very different properties and needs, many of them are also suitable as houseplants.
Tip
The selection of indoor palms is very large and diverse. Choose a palm tree that you can provide optimal conditions for. Then you will enjoy it for a long time.
