How Tall Do Majesty Palms Grow Indoors?

How Tall Do Majesty Palms Grow Indoors?Anyone who wants to add a bit of greenery to their home will have considered bringing a majesty palm (Ravenea rivularis) indoors. While beautiful, though, the care and keeping of these palms can quickly become too much for an inexperienced plant parent to handle, especially if you haven't planned for their potential height. So how tall can a majesty palm grow when it's kept indoors?

While majesty palms don't enjoy living in pots, they can still grow up to 40 feet in height if cared for correctly.

Not many people have homes that can host a 98-foot tree. What can you do, then, to ensure that your majesty palm thrives without compromising the structural integrity of your living space? Let's dive into the details, so you're not surprised at any point during a majesty palm's tenure in your home.

How Tall Do Majesty Palms Grow Indoors?

The majesty palm is considered an endangered species of palm native to Madagascar. That said, it's easier than you might think to introduce one of these exotic palms to your home.

Are Majesty Palms Good Houseplants?

Despite their potential size, majesty palms make excellent additions to any household. Their growth is reasonably slow, meaning you'll be able to avoid dealing with a 40-foot plant for several years. So long as you provide the palm with the right amount of light, water, and humidity, the care and keeping of this plant should be easy.

  • Light - majesty palms thrive when exposed to between six and eight hours of bright light. Keep your majesty palm in the sunniest part of your home, ideally near large windows, to help it stay healthy.
  • Water - ideally, the soil in which you've planted your majesty palm will never get dry. Majesty palms in the wild are most often found along the sides of running water, meaning that you'll need to water your indoor plant at least once a day. That said, be sure that your majesty palm's pot has holes in it, or else you risk the roots rotting.
  • Humidity - most palms prefer a humid climate, as these types of environments keep the soil around them damp. While you don't have to increase the humidity inside your home dramatically, be sure that you actively keep your majesty palm in the warmest parts of your home. A majesty palm that's overexposed to cool, dry air is not a majesty palm that will thrive.
  • Fertilizer - majesty palms have an unconventional relationship with fertilizer. You won't need to fertilize your soil during the winter months, and you'll only need to do so in the spring and summer lightly. Apply new fertilizer on a two to three-month cycle to see the best growth results.

How Fast Does A Majesty Palm Grow?

As mentioned, the majesty palm grows pretty slowly, even when it's pampered. In general, a majesty palm will only grow a foot per year, with variations above and below this average depending on the care it's received. If you want to stem the growth of your majesty palm, you're going to need to carefully prune it as it develops new buds.

Should You Cut Off Brown Palm Leaves?

Even if you do care for your plants, you may notice your palm leaves turning brown around the edges. There are several reasons this may be happening, including:

  • An insufficient supply of water
  • Overwatering your palm
  • Long-term exposure to dry, cool air
  • A lack of nitrogen or magnesium in the soil
  • Insect infestations
  • Fungal infections

When you notice the leaves of your palms starting to brown, you don't immediately have to cut them off. Sometimes, all you have to do is identify the cause of the browning and attend to that problem.

However, if it becomes clear that part of your palm is dying, you'll likely need to prune it for the sake of the rest of the palm. You can reach out to a professional pruner, or you can prune your palm yourself.

How Can You Safely Prune A Majesty Palm?

Pruning your majesty palm doesn't have to be an ordeal. So long as you have the right tools, you'll be able to reinvigorate your palm.

To safely prune your majesty palm, take the following steps:

  1. Gather your tools - to prune your majesty palm; you're going to need a sharp pair of garden shears or scissors. Working with dull blades will only damage your majesty palm further.
  2. Remove dead leaves - if your palm hasn't overgrown, then you only need to prune away the dead or browning leaves. Keep an eye out, during this process, for any insects or pests that may be spreading the damage.
  3. Remove damaged limbs - if you notice that the damage has spread to the leaves' branches, then you may have to make more substantial cuts. Do so carefully, but be sure to remove as much of the damage as you safely can.

Ideally, you'll want to cut off limbs and leaves at a 45-degree angle. These cuts will help your palm retain its water.

What's The Best Pot For A Majesty Palm?

When it comes to keeping a majesty palm indoors, you're going to want a larger pot or planter. Some of the best containers for majesty palms include:

9-inch Whiskey Barrel Planters

If you're keeping your majesty palm in a sunroom, you can add to your rustic look with a whiskey barrel planter.

You can find this planter on Amazon.

10-inch Modern Plant Stands

Alternatively, you can embrace the modern look with a plain, white plant stand. This updated aesthetic will make your majesty palm look all the more elegant in a foyer or living room.

You can find this planter on Amazon.

12-inch Freesia Planters

If you need to transplant your majesty palm, or if you want to start with a broader plant, then you'll want to purchase a larger starting pot.

A freesia planter matches just about any interior without committing to a particular aesthetic. You can find this planter on Amazon.

18-inch Square Tubs

As your majesty palm gets larger, you can either move it outside or continue purchasing a substantially larger planter than you usually would. 18-inch square tubs fit into the corners of any of your rooms without causing a disruption.

You can find this planter on Amazon.

Note that you're going to need one of these larger planters to accommodate a majesty palm's root system. No matter how large your planter is, too, you're eventually going to need to transplant a taller majesty palm out into your yard. Some heights are, unfortunately, incompatible with the indoors. For more great planter ideas, check out our post on 17 Extra Large Indoor Planters.

Other tools to help you care for your majesty palm include:

  • Hand forks
  • Pruners
  • Watering Cans
  • Watering Orbs
  • Humidity Trays
  • Pot Bases
  • Potting Soil
  • Soil Test Kit

Majesty palms make an excellent addition to your living room, kitchen, or front porch. Given their slow rate of growth, you won't have to worry about transplanting them from pot to pot every year and will instead be able to work on a three year or more cycle. With that in mind, why not introduce a majesty palm to your home?

Looking for tall plants for landscaping? Check out these lists -

16 Tall perennials for partial shade

15 Tall shrubs for shade

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