Where do you live? How many months do you anticipate keeping them indoors? Neither Triangle nor Royal would do well indoors all year unless you can re-create at least 6 months of heat, sun, fresh air and humidity in the home.

Triangle Palms actually do very well inside. They are totally resistant to pests and dry air. And they can take light levels that are medium/high.

Trouble is after many years they can become too large.

They will appreciate being put outside during the summer- but this is not a necessity.

Royal Palms are harder inside.

Well, here's what I went with: a cat palm. The lady at Lowe's told me they stay on the smallish side and don't require as much light as some other varieties. And it was only $13, so if I blow it it's not the end of the world. (I live in West Palm Beach, by the way.) I live in a condo so there's no transplanting them outside. And I've got so many plants on the balcony that I was hoping I could keep this one inside.

The best indoor palm I've seen is the Kentia Palm (Howea Forsteriana)

Kentias are nice, but beaucoup buck$. They're also r e a l slow. I had a Spindle palm many years indoors that did OK. It never went into full sun.

We keep a Phoenix Roebelenii in the house for the winter. It gets Afternoon sun. Loves lots of water and grows like a weed!

We do put it outside for the spring/summer/fall, however.
Still growing like a weed! LOL ):D

alex

you said you had a spindle, what happened to it?

x

There are several palms that are generally good indoors (even if they never do go outdoors for part of the year). I would recommend Phoenix robelini, Chamaedorea (parlor palms), Kentia, Rhaphis palms, Spinde palm (I have found the latter to excel under flourescent lights in the winter).

In regard to your question about the royal. I am growing one in a container but it goes outdoors in full sun from about late April through October. Indoors, over winter they are not especially difficult (just watch for insect pests--same for all palms overwintering indoors). Containerized, they grow only a a modest pace.

I have gone through many palms in the last 15 years and one remains from that far back. Its a pindo palm. I have another from 5 years ago and they are very easy to grow indoors. Just water them every day in the summer and once a week in the winter. Never had a problem with pests. I also have a bismarkia that I have had for 3 years. That one I bring outside in the summer. All the palms I bought locally are gone,dead. I quess the ones they say are not meant for indoors may be the best ones to go with. By the way my pindo palm is 12 ft. tall,,250 pounds. With a 14 ft, ceiling time is running out. I plan on buying another to replace it in a year or so. ,,Bill

I realy think and i have noticed from my experiences
the plants we lose in the house are not from light problems
but rather moisture problems our soil just does not dry out completely in the bottom of the pot i have hope to have remedied this with my new soil mixture of 70 % sand
30 % soil i know i keep ranting about this but guys i am telling you i have not lost a plant this year !
I am not saying by any means that plants will thrive in the house without light because the fact of the matter is most tropicals have to have light or they will die.

What kind of sand do you use? I use 50% perlite in my mix, much lighter than sand but not as cheap, it drains very quickly, needs to be watered twice daily this time of year.

x
I buy all my sand at home depot.
The playsand in a 50 pound bag works great.
i don't even use perlite anymore and i don't realy have to watch the rain on my palms that close because the sand drains good and don't hold water but keeps the pot just moist enough. not just any sand will work some of it clumps up when wet and you don't want that .