Large Coconut Palm

Description With a coconut palm, you get to feel like you're on a beach holiday without having to leave your kitchen. Its long fronds arch out over a table or a sunny corner, and down at the base sits an actual coconut, the seed the whole plant grew from. This is Cocos nucifera, native to the tropical coasts of the Indo-Pacific, and indoors it settles at about 5 feet (1.5 m). To look its best, a coconut palm wants your sunniest, warmest spot, so give it the brightest window in the house. It won't grow coconuts indoors (that takes years and far more sun than a home can give), so what you're bringing home is the palm itself, the shape and the fronds people notice the second they walk in. Care Are coconut palms hard to care for? Coconut palms are straightforward once you know what they want, which comes down to plenty of light and a bit of humidity. Give yours a warm, bright spot with lightly moist soil, and the daily care stays simple, so reach out any time you'd like a hand. What lighting does a coconut palm need? Give your coconut palm as much bright light as you can, ideally 6 or more hours of direct sun near a south-facing window. This is the single biggest thing that keeps it happy indoors, so pick the sunniest spot in your home before anything else. How often do you water a coconut palm? Water your coconut palm when the top inch or two of soil feels dry, letting it drain all the way through so the roots never sit in a soggy pot. It likes steady moisture in spring and summer and noticeably less in winter, when its growth slows down for a rest. Does a coconut palm need humidity? Yes, coconut palms come from humid coastlines, so they're happiest at about 60% humidity or higher. If your air runs dry, especially once winter heating kicks in, set the pot on a pebble tray or run a small humidifier nearby to keep the fronds fresh. Do you need to fertilize a coconut palm? Feed your coconut palm with a balanced fertilizer (or a palm-specific food) diluted to half strength, roughly once a month through spring and summer. Let it rest over fall and winter with no feeding, since it isn't actively growing then and won't use the nutrients. Can you grow a coconut palm indoors in a pot? Absolutely. Grown indoors in a pot, a coconut palm makes a lovely ornamental statement, and at around 5 feet it fits a sunny hallway or living-room corner nicely. Just keep it in that warm, well-lit spot rather than a shaded one and it will look right at home. How tall does a coconut palm grow indoors? Indoors, your coconut palm will reach around 5 feet (1.5 m), plenty of presence for a table or corner without taking over the room. Outdoors in the tropics these palms climb far higher, but in a pot they stay at a friendly, manageable height. Pet friendly? Good news for pet households:  the coconut palm isn't listed as toxic to cats or dogs by the ASPCA. As with any houseplant, a curious pet chewing a big mouthful of fronds could get a mildly upset stomach, so a spot that's a little out of reach keeps everyone comfortable. Is the coconut palm safe for dogs? The coconut palm isn't considered toxic to dogs, so an occasional sniff or nibble shouldn't cause harm. To keep the fronds looking their best (and your dog's tummy settled), it's worth placing it where wagging tails and curious mouths won't reach. Is the coconut palm safe for cats? Cats are safe around the coconut palm too, as it isn't on the ASPCA's list of plants toxic to felines. Since cats love to bat at long leaves, a higher or less-trafficked spot protects both the fronds and your cat's comfort. Factoids Are a coconut palm and a coconut tree the same thing? Yes, coconut palm, coconut tree, and coconut palm tree all describe the same plant. "Palm" is the botanically accurate word, since it belongs to the palm family, but the names get used interchangeably in everyday conversation. What is a coconut palm's scientific name, and how do you identify one? The coconut palm's scientific name is Cocos nucifera, and it's the only living species in the genus Cocos. The easiest way to spot one is the coconut sitting at the base of the stem, with those long, feather-shaped fronds fanning out from the top. Where does the coconut palm come from? The coconut palm is native to the tropical coasts of the Indo-Pacific, where it grows right along sandy shorelines. In the US, you'll find them outdoors in warm regions like South Florida and Hawaii, though indoors they do well anywhere with a bright, warm spot. Will a coconut palm grow coconuts indoors? A coconut palm won't produce coconuts indoors, since fruiting needs many years and far more sun than a home can provide. What you get instead is the palm's shape and fronds, which is really the reason to bring one inside. How long do coconut palms live? Outdoors in the tropics, coconut palms can live for decades, often 60 to 80 years. Indoors, a well-placed one in a bright, humid spot can be a rewarding companion for years, and we're happy to help you keep it thriving. Buy a coconut palm A coconut palm is the fastest way to give a room that just-back-from-vacation feeling, and ours arrive full and healthy from our New Jersey greenhouse. If you'd like to see yours before it ships, book a free video shopping call, and we'll walk the greenhouse with you on camera, so you can pick the exact plant you're getting. When you're ready, we deliver it ourselves by van and driver, with none of the shipping-box handling other plants go through, and stay on hand to help with coconut palm care for as long as you own it. Meta title (54 characters) Indoor coconut palm tree, NYC delivery | Dahing Plants Meta description (154 characters) Shop the coconut palm, a tropical indoor statement plant that reaches about 5 ft. Get coconut palm care tips, see it on a free video call, and we deliver.