Plant Care Guides / Indoor / Advanced Care
The Madagascar palm is not a palm at all, it is a succulent related to the frangipani. It has a thick, spiny, silver trunk topped with a tuft of long, narrow, glossy green leaves, giving it a look that sits somewhere between a cactus and a tropical tree. It is an architectural, conversation-starting plant that can live for many years, but it has specific needs that make it a plant for the more experienced.
The spines are real and sharp, so handle it carefully and keep it where people will not brush against it. In winter, it naturally drops its leaves and goes dormant, and the bare, spiny trunk can look alarming. This is normal. Reduce watering to almost nothing during dormancy and the leaves will return in spring.
Full sun. This is one of the few indoor plants that genuinely wants as much direct sunlight as you can give it. A sunny, north-facing windowsill is ideal. In too little light, it stretches, weakens and eventually declines.
Water thoroughly when the soil has dried out completely during the growing season (spring and summer). In winter, when the leaves have dropped, barely water at all, perhaps once a month or even less. Overwatering a dormant Madagascar palm is the quickest way to kill one, the trunk rots from the inside. Normal household humidity is fine; it does not need misting.
Feed monthly through spring and summer with a balanced liquid fertiliser. Stop completely in winter.
Repot every two to three years in spring. Use a very fast-draining mix, cactus and succulent soil is ideal. A heavy, stable pot is important because the top-heavy growth can make it tip over.
Ask about availability. We keep a changing range of indoor plants. WhatsApp us to see what is in store, or pop in and we will help you choose.
