Rhapis - Lady Palm

(Rha'pis)

DESCRIPTION: This miniature Palm is from Japan and China and can be grown outside in mild, tropical climates or in pots and tubs indoors. Although they are in the Palm family, they kind of resemble Bamboos, because they have slim, reed-like stems that do not grow more than 10 feet high; they produce an abundance of suckers from their base that eventually form thick, bushy, clumps. Their leaves are fan-shaped and divided deeply. These Palms are a lot hardier than most. They are great trees for a greenhouse with a minimum winter temperature of 45 degrees and they're also very nice to use in a building or home.

POTTING: These plants need protection from frost and shade from bright sunlight. They also need a lot of water throughout the summer, but just enough at the roots in the winter to keep the leaves from shriveling. Large plants that are grown in tubs should be top-dressed every spring with fresh compost and weekly doses of liquid fertilizer in the summer. Small plants should be repotted in March or April to clean pots that are two sizes larger. They need to have good drainage. The best compost consists of two parts of loam, one of leaf mold and a bit of sand. Until they are established, they should be watered carefully, let the soil become fairly dry before moistening it. During the summer, spray the leaves in the morning and evening and maintain a humid atmosphere by wetting the floor and benches.

PROPAGATION: In the spring or summer, seeds can be planted in pans of finely sifted soil and placed in a propagating case that has a bottom heat of 75-80 degrees. Since this tree produces so many suckers, the best way to increase them is to detach them and plant them in small pots.

VARIETIES: R. excelsa; R. humilis.

R. excelsa

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