Even botanical gardens fail with this species in their tropical greenhouses. Light conditions: will thrive in bright light and can cope with full sun, however do not place … While trees can be given antibiotics, such treatment is not always successful and most palms end up succumbing to the disease. Even those found in nature can fail to proper if in the shade, so it's extremely important that any indoor coconut palm receives ample sunshine. What hope could such a plant possibly have in the average home? “I think that the constant movement caused by the ceiling fan (it’s on all the time) and the humid heat from the old-school radiators are helpful. In their more juvenile form, however, they can be found in many local nurseries as sprouted coconuts with just one or two immature seedlings visible, and no stipe. If you want to grow a palm tree indoors, there are many other species that grow there easily and are found without difficulty in garden centers. Word of warning, though: Unless you do actually call a beachside bungalow home, this pesky palm will probably give you a run for your money. But I still don’t think that coconut palms make good houseplants. So why waste your energies on a plant that will likely survive only a few months, going downhill all the way? Well, wouldn’t you know someone would prove me wrong? And thirdly, temperatures need to stay above 75˚F (24˚C) all year long or it will slowly die. With the right environment, you should see a seedling appear through the shell of the coconut within three to six months. Move the pot to a warm, well-lit area and continually water it (without allowing it to sit in water) every three days or so. They need lots of sunlight, heat, and water to thrive, which can often make them difficult to grow and frustrating for gardeners looking for immediate results. Place it in a bucket of room temperature water and soak for up to three days to help jumpstart the germination process. Feed your palm year-round with a weak liquid fertilizer, and increase frequency during the summer months when it's actively growing. By using The Spruce, you accept our, How to Grow Kalanchoe daigremontiana (Mother of Thousands), 6 Palm Trees That Tolerate Freezing Temperatures, Chinese Fan Palm (Fountain Palm) Plant Profie. Photo: gardengoodsdirect.com. In their native habitats, coconut palms are fairly resistant to insect predators, but in the home, you might see mealybugs or spider mites on the leaves. You’ll have to cut the pot off, though: there’s no other way to extract the poor dying palm without seriously damaging it. Damien Lekatis, of Montreal, recently sent me a picture of his 7-year-old coconut palm, repotted into a large pot, obviously doing very well, with fronds even starting to split and look palmlike. Sprouted coconuts can be potted in three-gallon pots (about 12 inches of soil). My experience is that such plants inevitably fail fairly quickly, unable to thrive under the poor light, insufficient heat, dry air and subsequent spider mite infestation (spider mites, Tetranychus urticae, come out in droves on palms grown in dry air) that occurs in the average home. Coconut palms are used to growing in a variety of soil conditions and are therefore not terribly picky about their planting mixture. Coconut palms are known to have several nutrient deficiencies, including a lack of phosphorus, nitrogen, manganese, and boron, so seek out a fertilizer blend specifically made for palm trees in order to supplement these losses. However, once your coconut palm's roots grow to be about six to eight inches long, repot the plant into a vessel that holds at least 10 gallons of soil. Photo: gardengoodsdirect.com. Additionally, depending on its placement in your home, you may have to move your plant's location throughout the day to "chase" the sun and ensure proper exposure. Jon VanZile is a Master Gardener and the author of "Houseplants for a Healthy Home. To sprout a coconut palm, start with a coconut that still has some of its husk on and sounds full of water when you shake it. Introducing "One Thing": A New Video Series, The Spruce Gardening & Plant Care Review Board, The Spruce Renovations and Repair Review Board. Re-pot the coconut palm houseplant every five years. The star-shaped leaves of the Livistona chinensis sets it apart from other palms that have the more classical feathery frond leaves. Your plant may also benefit from the addition of a mini greenhouse while still in infancy (you can remove once the palm is approximately 12 inches tall). Keep your coconut palm nice and cozy at all times. As a good rule of thumb, you should aim for at least six hours of full sunlight each day. The coconut palm has stunning tall green foliage shooting from the coconut shell. Anyway, the plant will not live long enough to form a trunk… especially in the small pot in which it is sold. Place a humidifier in the room with the coconut palm. This really is a coconut palm… but it is not  a good houseplant! Keep the soil consistently moist by saturating with warm water once to twice a week. First, it requires very intense light, being intolerant of shade even on the tropical beaches on which it grows naturally. Although the idea of growing a coconut tree in the house may seem very attractive, in fact, it is almost impossible to grow this plant indoors. Of course, do you even have enough room for a plant whose fronds reach 13 to 20 feet (4-6 meters) long and whose (trunk), up to 100 ft (30 m)? Plus, there is no visible stipe (trunk) while a coconut palm of age of 7 years growing on a sunny tropical beach would normally have a thick stipe some 6 feet (2 m) high and would likely be producing a few coconuts. Similar to Dypsis lutescens (Areca palm) and Chamaedorea seifrizii palms (Bamboo palms), this plant is also sold as a bamboo palm. are not able to cultivate this large palm tree other than for very short periods and focus instead on more cooperative palm species. Humidity is an important factor, too—maintain a moist environment for your palm with the addition of an in-room humidifier, as well as frequent spritzing with warm water. Use the next larger size container, and plant the tree in a potting soil that drains well. Success With the World’s Worst Houseplant. The original coconut is still visible at the base and the fronds, which start out simple on a sprouting coconut and should be fully pinnate at seven years, are just transitioning to that form. So, Damien, you have proved me wrong. Characterized by a tall, grey-brown slightly curved trunk, sprawling palm frond, and, of course, coconuts, this plant is native to many tropical regions (think: the western pacific islands, Florida coast or Caribbean islands) and loves all things, well, tropical. If ever it’s too late and you’ve already bought one, at least repot it into a bigger pot. Photo: gardengoodsdirect.com. Native to tropical islands in the western pacific, the coconut palm is probably what comes to mind for many when you say the phrase "palm tree." Do you think you have more than horticultural skills than they do? Once mature, coconut palms can reach a staggering height of up to 100 feet, and boast 10 to 20-foot palm fronds and a rotating collection of fresh coconuts. Like many tropicals, the coconut palm is one thirsty plant. Underpotted sprouting coconuts sold as houseplants were all the rage 6 or 7 years ago. It is essentially impossible to obtain so much light between 4 walls, even in a greenhouse and especially outside of the tropics. Besides acting as a charming backdrop to every island paradise dream out there, coconut palms are an extremely valuable plant, regularly harvested to provide food and oil, as well as material for clothing, construction, and more. 4 meter ) fronds interesting webpage to the top of the soil consistently moist by saturating with water... Soil mixture, leaving the top half exposed above the soil to help it retain moisture in moist! Repot it into a bigger pot about their planting mixture live long enough to form trunk…! Is one thirsty plant one, at least repot it into a bigger pot the right environment, should. Greenhouse and especially outside of the palms that have the more classical feathery frond.. Of full sunlight each day, Damien, you can add a few months, going downhill the. 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