Fishtail Parlour Palm (Ernest August's Palm) care

Light

If you have a corner where every other plant turned leggy and died, try fishtail parlour palm. One of the most shade-tolerant palms available; thrives in low to medium indirect light and will cope with north-facing rooms that defeat most other palms. Avoid any direct sun, which rapidly bleaches the dark-green leaves. The catch: when a low-light plant does fail, it's almost always because someone watered it on the same schedule as their brighter plants. Less light = less water, every time.

Watering

Watering fishtail parlour palm: every 7–10 days in spring and summer; every 14–21 days in autumn and winter. The number that matters isn't the day of the week — it's how dry the top 2-3 cm of the pot feels. A finger in the soil tells you more than a watering app. After every watering, tip the saucer. Allow the top 2–3 cm of compost to dry before watering; it is somewhat more drought-tolerant than Chamaedorea elegans but still susceptible to root rot if overwatered.

Soil and pot

Fishtail Parlour Palm grows best in well-drained, peat-free compost with perlite. A mix of peat-free multipurpose compost and 30–40% perlite works well; adequate drainage is critical as the roots are sensitive to anaerobic conditions in heavy, compacted compost. A pot with a working drainage hole is non-negotiable for this species — even free-draining mix will turn soggy in a closed planter. If you love the look of a decorative pot without a hole, use it as a cachepot around an inner nursery pot you can lift out to water.

Humidity and temperature

Fishtail Parlour Palm sits happiest at around 50–70% humidity and 16 to 29°C (61 to 84°F). Prefers moderate to high humidity matching its tropical forest origin; mist the leaves weekly or place on a pebble tray filled with water, keeping the pot base above the water line. If you keep the room above 16 to 29°C year-round and avoid placing the plant near a cold draught, a hot radiator, or an air-conditioning vent, you have already handled the two biggest indoor stressors.

Fertilising

Feed fishtail parlour palm sparingly. Apply a balanced liquid fertiliser at half strength every three to four weeks during the growing season (April to September); do not feed in winter when growth pauses. Skip fertiliser entirely on a stressed, recently-repotted, or actively wilting plant — fertiliser salts make damage worse, not better. Wait for a round of healthy new growth before resuming a feeding rhythm.

Common problems

Below are the issues we see most often on fishtail parlour palm in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

• Spider mites — The most common pest, especially in warm, dry conditions; look for pale yellow stippling and fine webbing on frond undersides, and treat promptly with neem oil or insecticidal soap as populations escalate quickly indoors.
• Cold draught damage — Brief exposure to temperatures below 10°C or cold air from windows and air conditioning units causes permanent brown patches or full browning of the unusual undivided leaves; site well away from draughts and never on a cold windowsill in winter.

Propagation

Propagated by fresh seed sown in a warm propagator at 26–28°C with consistent moisture; germination is slow and irregular, taking 3–6 months. It does not readily produce offsets for division. Propagation is the cheapest, most satisfying way to expand a collection — and it doubles as insurance against losing a mature plant to an accident. Take a backup cutting once the parent is established and healthy.

Toxicity to pets

Fishtail Parlour Palm is pet-safe. The genus Chamaedorea is listed as non-toxic to cats and dogs by the ASPCA. Chamaedorea ernesti-augusti is not individually listed but no toxic compounds are known; it shares the genus-level non-toxic classification. If you keep cats, dogs, or curious children in the house, weigh placement carefully — a high shelf or a hanging planter is enough for casual safety. For severe ingestion incidents, call your local vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (in the US, 888-426-4435).

Pet-safety status is sourced from the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List, which catalogues the most-asked-about plants for cats, dogs, and horses.

Fishtail Parlour Palm deep-dive guides

Every aspect of fishtail parlour palm care, each with its own calibrated guide:

• Common fishtail parlour palm problems & fixes
• Fishtail Parlour Palm watering schedule
• Fishtail Parlour Palm light requirements
• Best soil mix for fishtail parlour palm
• Fishtail Parlour Palm fertilizing guide
• When to repot fishtail parlour palm
• How to propagate fishtail parlour palm
• How to prune fishtail parlour palm
• What's eating my fishtail parlour palm?
• Fishtail Parlour Palm growth rate & size
• Fishtail Parlour Palm cold hardiness
• Fishtail Parlour Palm temperature & humidity
• Is fishtail parlour palm toxic to cats & dogs?
• Is fishtail parlour palm toxic to cats?
• Is fishtail parlour palm toxic to dogs?
• All 23 Chamaedorea varieties

Featured in these plant shortlists

Fishtail Parlour Palm qualifies for 13 curated Growli shortlists — each one filtered objectively from our structured plant-care library, so the selection is consistent and checkable:

• Best pet-safe houseplants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — every one verified against the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list.
• Best low-light houseplants — Houseplants that need no direct sun and cope with a north-facing room or a spot well back from a window.
• Best pet-safe low-light plants — Non-toxic to cats and dogs AND happy with no direct sun — the two hardest constraints to satisfy at once.
• Best drought-tolerant houseplants — Houseplants that prefer to dry out — forgiving of forgotten watering and ideal for travel or busy weeks.
• Best houseplants for beginners — Forgiving of irregular light and watering — the houseplants least likely to die in a new plant parent’s first season.
• Best humidity-loving houseplants — Houseplants that thrive in a bathroom, kitchen, or by a humidifier — selected by documented humidity preference.
• Best bathroom plants — Humidity-loving houseplants that also cope with lower light — suited to the steamy, often-dim conditions of a typical bathroom.
• Best pet-safe low-maintenance plants — Non-toxic to cats and dogs and forgiving of forgotten watering — the easiest safe choices for a busy pet household.
• Best pet-safe large indoor plants — Big, floor-standing houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — a statement plant that is safe around pets.
• Best pet-safe bathroom plants — Non-toxic to cats and dogs and happy in the humid, lower-light conditions of a bathroom — safe greenery for the smallest room.
• Best pet-safe bedroom plants — Non-toxic to cats and dogs and happy in lower light — calming greenery for a bedroom where a pet often sleeps too.
• Best cat-safe plants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats (and dogs) — safe greenery for a home with a curious cat.
• Best dog-safe plants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to dogs (and cats) — safe greenery for a home with a curious dog.
• Browse all 29 plant shortlists — pet-safe, low-light, drought-tolerant and more

Related guides

Fishtail Parlour Palm is also known as Fishtail Parlour Palm, Ernest August's Palm, Xate Palm, and Broad-leaf Lady Palm.

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