Rhapis excelsa, Lady Palm Tree, "The Air Cleaner"
Rhapis excelsa is endemic to South-Central China and surrounding areas. It was first collected by the Japanese for Tokugawa shogunate palaces.
The delicate lady palm forms dense clumps of bamboo-like stalks topped with very dark green, glossy, broad, fan-shaped leaves. It grows up to 12 feet in height with 1 inch diameter multi-stemmed clumps. Leaf-ends are saw-toothed. New foliage emerges from a fibrous sheath which remains attached to the base. As the plants age, the sheaths fall, revealing the bamboo-like trunks. This palm produces very ornamental inflorescence at the top of the plant. Ripe fruit is white.
The amazing Lady Palm is very low maintenance which accounts for this palm's popularity! It requires very little light to thrive, is very drought tolerant and not susceptible to health issues. Rhapis excelsa is also very adaptable to soil types although neutral to slightly acid soils with good drainage and organic matter is recommended.
This palm, as is the case with most Rhapis species is an understorey plant so for best results a partially shaded spot under trees or a pergola is ideal. Rhapis excelsa can be grown in full sun as long as soils are good and adequate water is available. It is hardy to Zone 8b and can survive temperatures down to the mid twenties without damage. Lower temperatures will kill stems but the plant may recover.
Lady Palm & The NASA Clean Air Study: ( NASA Clean Air Study Wiki ) A project led by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) researched ways to clean the air in space stations. Its results suggested that, in addition to absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen through photosynthesis, certain common indoor plants may also provide a natural way of removing volatile organic pollutants (benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene, xylene & toluene, and ammonia were tested). The Lady Palm was shown to top the list for removing the following:
Benzene - found in Inks, oils, paints, plastics, rubber, dyes, detergents, gasoline, pharmaceuticals, tobacco smoke and synthetic fibers.
Formaldehyde - found in foam insulation, plywood, pressed-wood products, grocery bags, waxed paper, fire retardants, adhesive binders in floor coverings, cigarette smoke, natural gas.
Trichloroethylene - found in dry cleaning industries, printing inks, paints, lacquers, varnishes, adhesives.
Xylene and toluene - solvents and thinners.
Ammonia - found in some indoor cleaning products.
This awesome, cold tolerant, slow growing “ Air Cleaner “ palm is ideal for shady locations indoors or out and lends a rich tropical look to your landscape or home. A true mainstay in palm cultivation culture.
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Notes & Policies:
- All plants are safely shipped bare root in sterile medium.
- "Size" refers to growing container size. For more detailed size information please see the “Size Information” link at the top of our website.
- Please use text/email tracking alerts. Try to receive your plant(s) directly from the carrier to avoid damage due to extreme temperatures and or lack of humidity.
- Please do not place an order when extreme weather conditions or temperatures are likely.
- ❄️ Winter shipping? Protect your plant(s) with a 🔥Shipping Warmer! A northerly route and or possible delays during shipping could damage your tropical plant(s). If you did not add a shipping warmer to your order, we cannot be held responsible for cold damage to your plants during transit.
- All of our plants are grown in various amounts of shade; therefore, your plants will require a slow introduction into appropriate amounts of sun.
- In most cases your plants will benefit from providing an environment of enhanced humidity upon arrival until root function has normalized.
- All seeds are from a proven viable source. All seeds are inspected and tested prior to dispatch. Germination rates are not quoted or guaranteed due to the use of various individual germination techniques. Typical germination rates provided on request.
- Buyer assumes risks due to state agricultural regulations and bare root shipping.
- Refund policy: If for any reason your order is incorrect or arrives in poor condition due to negligence on our part, we'll gladly issue a refund or make your order right. To be eligible, buyers must please send notification within (1) day of receiving your order describing the issue(s) accompanied by photos of the unaltered order in its original packing material.
- Propagation is from seed unless other methods are stated.
- Questions? Don't hesitate to ask. We're happy to help!
Daniela & Dave
Let’s Grow Florida!