Majesty Palm Care

When it comes to bringing a tropical vibe at home, nothing beats the aura of palm trees. But somehow, not all palms can fit the size of a small house. Luckily, we discovered the majesty palm plant.

This palm, which is almost similar to the areca palm, can grow up to 10 feet tall indoors. Those feathery fronds will surely make a majestic addition to your indoor landscape.

What is Majesty Palm?

Native to Madagascar, majesty palm is an easy-to-grow foliage plant. Despite its relatively bigger size, this palm plant won’t demand as much time and effort for care and maintenance. A member of the Arecaceae family, it’s botanically known as Ravenea rivularis.

Keep reading and we’ll give you useful tips on how to tend to majesty palm indoors.

Majesty Plant Care Basics

Now, let’s begin with this plant care overview.

By now, you must have known some of the important aspects of caring for majesty palms. But to give you a more comprehensive guide, we have gathered all this information just for you.

Soil Requirement

A palm majesty loves light and acidic soil. If you have a cactus or succulent mix, that would definitely be perfect. You just add a handful of peat to the mix to improve its structure.

It will also serve as an organic material beneficial for the palm roots. Since peat is acidic, it helps achieve the right soil pH preferred by your majesty palm.

It’s important for any plant to have well-draining soil. The mixture needs to be right to avoid the accumulation of excess water.

Water should be plenty

Never let the soil go dry. The palm fronds will surely turn brown and dry if the plant is left under drought conditions. If you don’t want this to happen, water regularly.

The soil must be consistently moist but not to the point of being soggy. Along with a well-draining soil mix, there must be sufficient drainage holes in the container. Always check the bottom of the pot and remove standing water.

This will help prevent the perils of root rot. If the leaves turn yellow, that could be a sign of overwatering. Just well enough and your palm tree will show lush and shiny foliage.

Keep the light bright

A sunny window is the majesty palm’s favourite spot. Those arching feathery leaves love to receive plenty of sunlight. On average, about 6 to 8 hours of bright light makes the palm majesty extra happy.

If you have this light condition at home, that would be best for raising a palm tree at home. There’s a caution though. When treating them as an outdoor plant, prolonged exposure to direct sunlight for long hours will not be beneficial.

When light intensities are strong, the tissues of the plant are prone to damage. So make sure to protect your majesty palm when the sunlight gives off scorching heat.

Maintain a warm temperature

The best temperature ranges between  65°F-75°F (18°C to 24°C). Palm trees are native to tropical areas. Thus, they’d naturally love a warm environment. As much as possible, keep your palm plant in this type of environment so it won’t experience much stress.

It can tolerate cold temperatures up to 50°F to 60°F (10°C to 15°C) during winter. But anything lower than that could lead to possible damage. Your houseplant will benefit from additional insulation during the colder months.

Avoid placing your palm near cold drafts and heating vents. They could easily induce physical damage.

Keep humidity high

As expected, tropical plants like majesty palm love high humidity. That extra moisture in the air is one thing that keeps them thriving. Be sure to place this houseplant in the most humid area of the room.

Misting the plant every now and then is helpful especially if you live in an arid place. However, this could be a time and energy-consuming job. We recommend using a humidifier or pebble tray instead to increase humidity.

If you’re living in a tropical or semi-tropical area, then, you’re lucky. You’re saved from doing the additional tasks.

Give fertilizer regularly

Although this palm plant is a slow grower, it needs a regular supply of fertilizer. During the active stage, you must fertilizer once or twice. Use a weak and diluted balanced fertilizer that is designed for a houseplant.

Abstain fertilization when the winter comes. This is the period when you allow your plant to rest. To avoid salt buildup in the soil, make it a habit to wash it off with running water after a few months.

Divide the pups to propagate

Propagation through cuttings is not possible. The best way is to divide those pups or offshoots that you see growing at the base of the mother plant. Separating them is the easiest way to multiply your majesty palm.

Once separated, you could plant each offshoot to individual containers. In time, you’d have new baby majesty palms growing. Don’t forget to leave behind a few pups beside the mother plant. And, separate only those mature and healthy pups.

Find the right growing zones

Areas located in the USDA zones 10-11 wouldn’t have trouble growing majesty palm. These growing zones are best suited for the growing needs of this palm species.

Report every year

Although it grows slowly, the majesty palm can grow really big. So make sure to repot it every year to encourage growth.

Use a larger container with an additional space of 2 to 3 inches. Since the roots can be massive, always use a sturdy pot that won’t easily break off.

Trim off rotten, aged, or damaged roots before repotting. And of course, replace the depleted soil with a fresh, light, and well-draining mix.

Make occasional pruning

Judicial removal of dead, aged, and discolored leaves is what you need to do when pruning majesty palms. You can also remove some fronds to thin out the foliage especially if it’s already dense. Doing so would allow better light penetration and air circulation within the plant.

As a reminder, make sure to sterilize the shears that you’re using to prune the plant. This would prevent the spread of diseases.

Best Palm Species and Similar Plants

There are a lot of options for palm species that is being used as a houseplant. Here are some of them:

Areca Palm (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens)

This palm closely resembles the majesty palm. However, it is smaller in size and could reach about 4 to 10 feet tall only when grown indoors. The fronds are more feathery in appearance. Between majesty palm and areca palm, the latter has greater adaptability to an indoor condition

Parlor Palm (Chamaedorea elegans)

Unlike other palm species, parlor palm prefers a low light level condition. It grows from a single trunk and is compact in appearance. It can grow to about 4 feet tall in an indoor setting.

Cascade Palm (Chamaedorea atrovirens)

This palm is almost trunkless. Its growth habit can be observed as tight clumping. Just look at the base of the plant and you’ll see why. Like parlor palm, it is also shade-loving. This species has an air-purifying property making it a must houseplant.

Kentia Palm (Howea forsteriana)

An elegant-looking palm that is both a sturdy and easy-to-maintain indoor plant. It has large palm-shaped leaves. It’s also a slow grower but it can reach up to 12 feet in height when grown in pots.

Majesty Palm Diseases & Pests

Spider mites

While the majesty palm is generally pest-free, make sure to still watch out. Spider mites are its most common nemesis. Since they’re very tiny, they could easily go unnoticed until they’re able to build an empire in your indoor plant.

The moment you spot them, spray them off with water. Normally, it would be enough to drive them away. If not, use horticultural oils or diluted soaps.

Leaf Spots and Leaf Blights

Palm trees have a susceptibility to certain pathogens. These pathogens could lead to a number of diseases particularly leaf spots and leaf blights. Common symptoms could be easily mistaken for nutrient deficiencies.

They’re more vulnerable to such diseases in their young and juvenile stages. So, keep an eye.