Rhapis excelsa

Natural origin of Rhapis excelsa

Rhapis excelsa occurs naturally from southern China into Vietnam, where it grows beneath the shelter of warm forests.

Lady palms have been grown in pots in China and Japan for generations. This long tradition helped make Rhapis excelsa a familiar indoor palm.

Growing Rhapis excelsa indoors

• Light: Bright filtered light encourages steady new canes. The palm can also stay healthy in a softer position.
• Temperature: Keep temperatures around 16–27 °C. Protect the plant from prolonged temperatures below 12 °C. A stable room temperature suits Rhapis; keep the plant out of persistent cold draughts.
• Humidity: Aim for 40–50% humidity. Average household humidity is usually enough. Consistent watering also helps keep the fan tips in good condition.
• Water: Keep the compost lightly moist while growth is active. Water when roughly 50–70% of the compost has dried, then empty anything collected in the cover pot.
• Potting mix: Use palm or houseplant compost that drains freely while still holding some moisture around the fine roots.
• Feeding: Feed with a palm or houseplant fertiliser during active growth, at a moderate dose.
• Repotting: Repot when roots crowd the container, the mix has deteriorated or drains slowly, or the clump becomes unstable. Keep the current pot if roots still have room, renewing the mix or improving stability instead.
• Propagation: Divide the palm by separating a section from the base once it has its own roots, healthy canes and leaves.

Leaf problems on Rhapis excelsa

• The fan tips turn brown: Uneven watering, very dry air or mineral build-up can mark the ends first. Make watering more consistent and flush the compost with fresh water occasionally.
• Several leaves yellow in damp compost: The fine roots have stayed damp for too long. Give the pot more time to dry and make sure excess water can escape.
• Small dark spots spread across the fans: Leaf spot can affect lady palm. Remove badly marked foliage, keep the leaves dry when watering and provide gentle airflow.
• Fine pale speckles, webs, cottony insects or scale-like bumps appear: Mites, mealybugs or scale may be present. Move the palm to a separate spot, check which pest is present and follow the treatment label for any repeat applications.

Rhapis excelsa is non-toxic to cats and dogs

• This plant is non-toxic to cats and dogs.
• Its effects on people are unclear, so keep it away from young children who may chew it.
• Eating a large amount can still cause an upset stomach. Seek medical or veterinary advice if symptoms continue.

What does Rhapis excelsa mean, and who first published it?

Rhapis comes from a Greek word for a needle or stitching needle, a reference generally linked to the narrow leaf divisions. Excelsa means tall or elevated.

William Aiton established the genus Rhapis in 1789 in Hortus Kewensis, volume 3, page 473; Carl Linnaeus the Younger had proposed the name.

Carl Peter Thunberg first described it as Chamaerops excelsa in 1784 in Systema Vegetabilium, fourteenth edition, page 984. Augustine Henry later placed it in Rhapis as Rhapis excelsa in 1930 in Journal of the Arnold Arboretum, volume 11, page 153.