How to care for lady palm (Rhapis excelsa)

Rhapis excelsa

Lady palm (Rhapis excelsa) — a slow-growing, clump-forming palm with slender, fibre-covered, cane-like stems (to about 4 m) and glossy dark green fan leaves divided into usually 5 to 7 segments with ragged-looking tips. Lady palm needs partial shade. Water it about every 7 days while it grows and about every 14 days in the winter rest.

Checked against sources: November 5, 2026

Watering and repotting lady palm through the year

It lives indoors all year, so it has no sowing or planting dates: it grows from March to September and rests from October to February (the other way round in the southern hemisphere).

Repot it about every 30 months.

When to plant lady palm?

Plant or repot lady palm in spring, as it starts into growth; early to midsummer also works. It is a houseplant, so it has no outdoor planting date and no frost decides it: just avoid autumn and winter, when growth slows and fresh compost stays wet too long. After that, move it to a slightly larger pot about every two and a half years, or sooner once roots circle the pot or grow through the drainage holes.

Watering in the growing and resting halves of the year: Watering and repotting lady palm through the year.

Sources: RHS: How to repot a plant · Penn State Extension: Repotting houseplants

Quick facts

Type	Houseplant
Latin name	Rhapis excelsa
Family	Arecaceae
Light	Partial shade
Frost	does not tolerate frost
Repotting	every 30 months
Grown in	At home

Lady palm care by growth stage

At home

Stage	Watering	Temperature	Feeding
Growth	every 7 days	—	balanced (NPK), 14 days into the stage; balanced (NPK), 44 days into the stage; balanced (NPK), 74 days into the stage; balanced (NPK), 104 days into the stage; balanced (NPK), 134 days into the stage; balanced (NPK), 164 days into the stage; balanced (NPK), 194 days into the stage
Winter rest	every 14 days	—	—

Growing notes

Light

Bright indirect light to partial shade; it tolerates deep shade and low light away from windows, but needs protection from strong sun.

Soil

Well-drained, loam-based potting compost.

Care

Water regularly in the growing season and sparingly in winter; it has low humidity needs. Feed monthly with a balanced liquid fertiliser in the growing season only. It tolerates the occasional cold draught, so it suits a spot near a door, but move it indoors before temperatures drop below 10 °C if it summers outside. Palms do best with confined roots: repot only every 2–3 years, in spring or early summer, when roots fill the pot, and divide the rhizome to multiply it. Watch for spider mites, mealybugs and scale insects, which are common indoors. Non-toxic to cats and dogs.

Pests and diseases of Lady palm

2 problems are recorded for lady palm; each has a page with symptoms, treatment and prevention.

Pests

Other plants of the Arecaceae family

Lady palm belongs to Arecaceae; 4 other plants of this family have a guide here.

Plant lists it is in

Part of: Houseplants · Houseplants for shade · Houseplants safe for cats and dogs

Sources

Figures checked against these sources.