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Broadleaf Lady Palm (Rhapis excelsa)

Rhapis excelsa is an evergreen, clump-forming perennial palm with underground rhizomes that produce multiple slender, upright stems.

LightRhapis excelsa grows in partial shade to bright indirect light and tolerates deeper shade; strong direct sunlight should be avoided because it can scorch the leaves.
WaterWater regularly during the growing period and maintain moderate moisture, while using a well-drained medium and avoiding overwatering; reduce watering in winter.
TemperatureA single source reports a minimum temperature of about 0 °C; sources are few.
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Broadleaf Lady Palm illustration

Overview

Rhapis excelsa is an evergreen, clump-forming perennial palm with underground rhizomes that produce multiple slender, upright stems.

Origin and habitat

Sources differ on its native range, describing it as extending from southern China to northern Vietnam. Sources also differ in their habitat accounts, which include the understory and slopes of lowland moist or dry forests. It favors warm, humid, shaded conditions and can also adapt to lower-light indoor conditions.

Characteristics

Sources differ on mature height, placing it at about 250–400 cm, while a single source reports a mature spread of about 250–400 cm. It is reported to grow slowly, with evergreen, dark green, palmate leaves that have pronounced longitudinal folds, deep divisions into narrow to broader segments, and slender petioles; sources differ on details of the segments, which may become more numerous on mature plants and have finely divided or serrated tips. Sources differ in describing its small yellow to pale-yellow flowers in inflorescences, though most describe the plants as dioecious; flowering occurs from late spring through summer. Sources differ on the mature fruit color, describing the small, fleshy, spherical to elliptical fruits as white or yellow.

Light

Rhapis excelsa grows in partial shade to bright indirect light and tolerates deeper shade; strong direct sunlight should be avoided because it can scorch the leaves.

Watering

Water regularly during the growing period and maintain moderate moisture, while using a well-drained medium and avoiding overwatering; reduce watering in winter.

Temperature and dormancy

A single source reports a minimum temperature of about 0 °C; sources are few.

Growing medium and mounting

Use a well-drained loamy medium; sources specify slightly acidic to neutral conditions and also give a seed-sowing medium combining leaf mold and river sand.

Feeding

Apply a balanced fertilizer during the growing season; sources variously recommend slow-release fertilizer or monthly applications of balanced liquid fertilizer.

Propagation

Rhapis excelsa can be propagated by seed or division, and it also produces suckers from underground rhizomes. Propagation sources also give germination and sowing-temperature guidance, but these figures are qualitative here and are therefore not specified numerically.

Common problems

Potential pests include greenhouse red spider mite, scale insects, fern scale, greenhouse thrips, banded greenhouse thrips, and root mealybugs. It is generally reported to have few diseases. It tolerates overwatering poorly, and strong direct sunlight can scorch the leaves. Strong sunlight should be avoided; it is described as more cold-tolerant than many palms, and sources also indicate that frost protection can aid overwintering.

Identification

Rhapis excelsa forms clumps of multiple upright, bamboo-cane-like stems from underground rhizomes; the stems often retain fibrous leaf sheaths, and the leaves are deeply divided and palmate.

Photos

Rhapis excelsa
📷 Eric in SF · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Rhapis excelsa
📷 Aris riyanto · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Sources