Cat palm overview
The dense, trunkless indoor Chamaedorea. Native to southern Mexico, USDA 10b to 11 outdoors, a bright-room clump that wants more water than parlor palm.
Region of origin
Southern Mexico
Native countries
Historical discovery
Carl Martius published Chamaedorea cataractarum in 1849. The cat name is a shortening of cataractarum, not a pet palm.
Names
Common names
Cat palm, Cascade palm, Cataract palm
Synonyms
- None widely used
Cold hardiness
Survives about 32°F / 0°C. Outdoor range USDA 10b–11b. Hover or click a zone, state, or country. Switch the U.S. map between states and hardiness zones.
Highlighted USDA zones 10b–11b. Green countries can be grown outdoors.
United States
In range Too cold
World
Native Can be grown
Alaska and Hawaii are state outlines with their overall zone range. A country is painted if its mildest inhabited winter is at least one USDA step milder than this palm’s hardiness.
Scientific facts
- The name is from cataracts and waterfalls, not house cats.
- Almost no visible trunk. A fountain of pinnate fronds from the base.
- Thirstier than parlor palm. Dry indoor air plus dry mix looks miserable.
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Full care guide
The cat palm is a dense, nearly trunkless Chamaedorea from southern Mexico, sold as an indoor clump. The name is from cataractarum, waterfalls, not your cat. USDA 10b to 11 outdoors. It wants even moisture and bright shade. Dry heat makes it ugly.
Common Names:
Cat palm, cascade palm, cataract palm.
Scientific Name:
Chamaedorea cataractarum Mart.
Origin:
Southern Mexico, along streams and wet shade.
Appearance:
A fountain of pinnate fronds from a short, hidden base. No bamboo canes like seifrizii. No tiny parlor-palm seedlings-in-a-pot look. It is a leafy mound.
Growth Rate:
Moderate with water and humidity.
Max Growth Height:
Often 4 to 6 feet, sometimes to 8. A shrub, not a street tree.
Foliage Spread:
As wide as it is tall if you do not divide it.
Cold Hardiness and Hardiness Zone:
USDA 10b to 11. Damage near freezing. Indoors anywhere with frost.
Soil Type:
Rich, moist, well-drained mix. It likes water but not a sealed bog.
Fruit and Flowering:
Small fruit on mature clumps. Indoor plants may flower in bright rooms.
Can it Grow Indoors:
Yes. This is a common large houseplant palm.
Light Requirements:
Bright indirect, or morning sun. Deep shade thins it. Full inland sun burns it.
Water Requirements:
Even moisture. This is the waterfall Chamaedorea. Letting it go bone-dry is how you get brown fronds.
Maintenance Level:
Low to medium. Cut brown fronds at the base. Feed in the growing season with palm-specific fertilizer lightly in spring and summer. Group plants or use a tray of pebbles if your air is desert-dry.
Common Diseases/Pests:
Spider mites in dry rooms, then scale. Bronze leaflets are mites until proven otherwise.
Plant Care:
Bright room, even water, humidity if you can. Outdoors only in tropical shade. Do not confuse it with parlor palm when you need a 2-foot desk plant.
Cat palm Frequently Asked Questions:
1. Cat palm or parlor palm?
Parlor palm stays smaller and more cane-like in a pot. Cat palm is a denser, thirstier mound with almost no trunk.
2. Is it safe for cats?
Chamaedorea species are generally treated as non-toxic, unlike sago. The name is still from waterfalls, not pets. Discourage chewing.
3. Why is it brown?
Dry mix, dry air, or mites. Water more evenly than you would a ponytail. Check the undersides of leaflets.
4. Can it go outside?
In USDA 10b to 11 shade, yes. Bring indoor plants out only in shade, and back in before cool nights.
Use cat palm when you want a dense indoor Chamaedorea mound and you will actually water it. Use parlor palm when you want something smaller and more forgiving of neglect.