Chamaedorea pinnatifrons

Solitary one inch diameter trunk with luscious wide leaves prefers dappled shade. Cream-yellow flowers and yellow-orange fruit add interest.
height 10
width 3–4ft
tolerates Pots
water
needs		 Moderate – High
water
info		 This palm appreciates consistent water, but won’t tolerate soggy soil. Once it’s established, be sure to water it when the top inch or two of the soil is dry. Usually this will mean watering deeply every five to seven days during the dry season. Planting this palm with good drainage will help to make sure it doesn’t accidentally get overwatered.
hardy
to		 27F
exposure Full Shade
indoor
outdoor		 Outdoor
drainage In Ground: Cactus Mix, In Pots: Cactus Mix, Tolerates Sandy Soil
fertilizing Palm Fertilizer
origin Central / South America
sunset
zones		 17, 21–24

Sunset Zones Map

Outdoor Exposure Guide

Growing Notes

Palms are generally heavy feeders, so if you want them growing quickly and looking their best, they should be fertilized at least three times a year. Fertilizing at spring equinox, summer solstice and fall equinox will allow for a winter rest. Be sure to feed your palm with a fertilizer that contains micronutrients, especially if you see yellowing leaves or yellow spots on the leaves. Be sure your palm fertilizer contains micronutrients, particularly magnesium.
This solitary palm will grow only one trunk during its lifetime. If you have a pot with multiple trunks in it, that’s because multiple separate palm trees were germinated in the pot. The good news is that you won’t need to thin out suckers over time to maintain the number of trunks you started out with.
You can prune off older chamaedorea leaves when they start to look ratty, or wait until they are completely dried up. Either way, once the leaf sheath (the part of the leaf that wraps around the trunk of the palm) dries up, you can just pull it right off, exposing the green trunk. Once this is done, your palm trunks will resemble bamboo canes.

Special Interest

The petioles are chewed by the Mayna Jivaros to blacken teeth, starting at an age of five or six years.

This palm’s juicy lush look is an absolute must-have when creating a tropical garden in a temperate climate. Mix it with other broad-leafed flowering plants like cannas, hedychiums, philodendrons, or monsteras.