Chamaedorea seifrizii

Chamaedorea seifrizii, the bamboo or reed palm, comes from the limestone lowlands of the Yucatán Peninsula and neighbouring Belize, Guatemala and Honduras. Each plant builds a tight clump of slender green canes, ringed like bamboo, topped with narrow-leafleted leaves.

Female plants carry small black fruits on stalks that turn bright orange. Tolerant of shade, dry air and drought, and fairly resistant to mites, it is one of the finest palms for interiors and makes an excellent hedge or screen in frost-free gardens.

At a glance

• Native range: south-eastern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras
• Mature size: clumps usually 2–3 m tall and about 0.9–1.5 m wide in gardens
• Growth rate: moderate, slow at first
• Light: dim light to almost full sun once acclimatised
• Water: evenly moist but never constantly wet
• Cold hardiness: a frost-free palm (USDA zones 10–11)
• Indoors / outdoors: excellent indoors; outdoors as a hedge, screen or container accent in mild climates

Care

Water so the soil stays evenly moist without becoming soggy, as overwatering leads to root and stem rot. Any well-drained soil suits it, and a household fertiliser in summer keeps the leaves green. Cut off dead leaves and peel away the dried sheaths to show off the clean green canes. Indoors, a light weekly spray of water helps keep spider mites at bay in dry winter rooms.

Why Palmpedia: Grown in our greenhouse in Almeirim, Portugal, and supplied in 15 L to 35 L pots.