Plant Care Cat Palm

Cat Palm

3.9 out of 5 (25 experiences)

Cat Palm has a Browns easily plant personality Browns easily

About Cat Palm

The cat palm is a petite palm native to Central America. Indoors, the cat palm grows up to three feet, and up to six feet outdoors. They’re a perfect choice to spruce up the corner of a room near a window. In its native habitat, the cat palm grows along rivers and other waterways in marshy soil and its flexible fronds allow it to withstand seasonal flooding! 🌴

Taxonomy

Chamaedorea cataractarum
Chamaedorea
Arecaceae
Arecales

How to care for Cat Palm

💦 Water

How often to water your Cat Palm

Water needs for Cat Palm
0.5 cups
every 12

Cat Palm needs 0.5 cups of water every 12 when it doesn’t get direct sunlight and is potted in a 5" pot.

Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.

Calculate water needs of Cat Palm

Water 0.5 cups every
12

Does your plant get direct sunlight?

Select the pot size

5"
☀️ Light

Finding light for Cat Palm in your home

Light needs and placement for plant Cat Palm: 3ft from a window
3ft or less from
a window

Cat Palm may have difficulty thriving, and will drop leaves 🍃, without ample sunlight.

Place it less than 3 feet from a south-facing window to maximize the potential for growth.

Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement of Cat Palm in your home 🏡.

🪴 Nutrients

How to fertilize Cat Palm

Nutrient, fertilizer, and repotting needs for Cat Palm: repot after 2X growth

Most potting soils come with ample nutrients which plants use to produce new growth.

By the time your plant has depleted the nutrients in its soil it’s likely grown enough to need a larger pot anyway.

To replenish this plant's nutrients, repot your Cat Palm after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.

Browse #CatPalm
💡 FAQs
⭐ Difficulty Level

Cat Palm is generally easy to care for, though some plant parents report facing challenges with growing it. Check out the reviews down below to read more about their experiences!

How to Grow Cat Palm →

Benefits of Growing Cat Palm →

Indoor Care Guide for Cat Palm →

Outdoor Care Guide for Cat Palm →


💦 Water Needs

Cat Palm thrives in dry soil and should be watered sparingly. Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.

Cat Palm Water Frequency →

Cat Palm Root Rot →


☀️ Sunlight Needs

Cat Palm may have difficulty thriving and will drop leaves 🍃 without ample sunlight. Place it less than 3 feet from a window to maximize the potential for growth. Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement in your home 🏡.

Cat Palm Light Requirements →

Cat Palm Direct Sunlight Needs & Tolerance →


🐶 🐈 👶 Toxicity

Cat Palm is not known to cause harm to humans or pets. Regardless, if you, a family member, a cat, or dog has ingested any plant material, please consult a doctor or a veterinarian.


💨 Humidity

Cat Palm doesn’t require additional humidity. Plants absorb most water through their root system rather than their leaves, so the best way to provide humidity for your plants is through watering the soil.

Cat Palm Humidity Needs →


🪴 Soil

Cat Palm does best in well-draining soil. A good soil will contain lots of organic matter such as coco coir as well as perlite or vermiculite to help with drainage. Adding a handful of perlite to regular store-bought potting soil should do the trick!

Best Soil Mix for Cat Palm →

Best Pots for Cat Palm →

When and How to Successfully Repot Cat Palm →

What Are Healthy Cat Palm Roots →


💩 Fertilizer

Cat Palm should be repotted after it doubles in size or once a year, whichever comes first. Fresh potting soil has all the nutrients your plant needs, so as long as it’s refreshed yearly, you shouldn’t need to use fertilizer. Remember, plants get their energy from sunlight, not fertilizer!

How Much and When to Fertilize Cat Palm →


❄️ Dormancy

It’s common for Cat Palm to go dormant in the wintertime and you may notice their growth slow down. Waterings should be spaced out more during this time.


🌎 Native Region

Cat Palm is native to Tropical and Subtropical Americas.


🌸 Flowers
⬆️ ⬇️ Growth Pattern

Cat Palm is a clumping plant, meaning new growth will emerge from the soil around the parent plant.

Cat Palm Lifecycle →

Cat Palm Size Guide →

How and When to Prune Cat Palm →


🌦️ Growing Outdoors
🌱 Propagation

Cat Palm can be propagated by division into new individual plants.

  • Check to see if there is more than one plant. In some cases they may still be beneath the soil surface. If you feel confident, you may remove the soil to check for baby plantlets below!
  • If there are multiple plants growing, unpot the plant and gently tug the plants apart, being careful not to disturb too many of the roots. They may be connected by large root segments which you may need to break to free the plantlet.
  • Pot up the new plant in well-draining soil
  • Repot the parent plant back into its original pot

How to Propagate Cat Palm →


🍂 Yellow Leaves

Yellow leaves aren’t always a reason to panic, and can be a normal part of a plant’s life cycle. Unless brand new leaves are turning yellow or all the leaves change color at once, it’s likely just your plant shedding old leaves.

Overwatering and root rot are the most likely cause of problems in Cat Palm, since they are very sensitive to wet soil. The leaves may also appear to be curling or drooping. Less often, yellow leaves are caused by underwatering, nutrient deficiencies, or pests.

Replace soggy soil with fresh, dry soil and download Greg to make sure your plant never gets overwatered again!


🧐 Troubleshooting

When troubleshooting a sad-looking houseplant, start by checking for signs of distress in its leaves, such as yellowing, browning, or drooping, which can indicate overwatering or nutrient deficiencies.

Inspect the soil moisture; too dry or too wet soil can cause problems.

Ensure the plant is getting the right amount of light, as too much or too little can stress it.

Finally, consider environmental factors like temperature and humidity, and adjust care routines accordingly to revive your plant.


Care Summary for Cat Palm

Cat Palm

Cat Palm


Greg recommends:

Water

0.5 cups every 12 days

Placement

< 3ft from a window

Nutrients

Repot after 2x growth

Based on the 4” pot your plant is in, and that it doesn’t get direct sunlight.

What other plant parents say

Cat Palm has a Browns easily plant personality Browns easily 14
Cat Palm has a Large, lush leaves plant personality Large, lush leaves 11
Cat Palm has a Pest magnet plant personality Pest magnet 6
Cat Palm has a Fast grower plant personality Fast grower 5
Cat Palm has a Survivor plant personality Survivor 4
Cat Palm has a Easy to propagate plant personality Easy to propagate 2
Cat Palm has a Blooms easily plant personality Blooms easily 1
@beastlyblake25 avatar
@@beastlyblake25
leaf-1 37 Plants
xp 6,352 XP
globe Logan, UT
06/30/2021

Browns so easy and is a pest magnet. I got spider mites and chopped the plant all the way back and changed the soil. No pests yet but wow is it slow growing. Save yourself the trouble

Browns easily Browns easily
Pest magnet Pest magnet
@Junglevision avatar
@@Junglevision
leaf-1 58 Plants
xp 1,104 XP
globe Hanover, NH
06/06/2021

Hard to keep from tips turning brown but love this plant so much! So pretty.

Fast grower Fast grower
Browns easily Browns easily
Oliwia avatar
@Oliwia
leaf-1 5 Plants
xp 92 XP
globe Wadebridge, England
05/24/2021

very easy to look after!!

Survivor Survivor
@Philbobaggins avatar
@@Philbobaggins
leaf-1 0 Plants
xp 129 XP
globe Dallas, TX
05/21/2021

Finicky little b****

Pest magnet Pest magnet
Browns easily Browns easily
@blairular avatar
@@blairular
leaf-1 15 Plants
xp 1,066 XP
globe Denver, CO
04/08/2021

Beautiful, but high maintenance. This one is happy with us and has been putting out a lot of new shoots, but I’ve had to put in the time to make it happen. Daily misted and lots of water, plus constant pest checks and neem baths. Worth it if you’re willing to put in the time!!

Large, lush leaves Large, lush leaves
Fast grower Fast grower
Pest magnet Pest magnet
Browns easily Browns easily
@Heather avatar
@@Heather
leaf-1 0 Plants
xp 1,171 XP
globe Redwood City, CA
02/13/2021

This guy is so finicky. Too much light, not enough, look at it wrong and the tips start to brown. It’s safe for pets which is def a plus but it was not happy in my south facing room. Maybe it will be happier with you!

Browns easily Browns easily
Pest magnet Pest magnet

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