Bella Palm (Chamaedorea elegans)

The Bella Palm, or Parlor Palm (Chamaedorea elegans), is a compact, slow-growing palm prized for terrariums, vivariums, paludariums, and riparium shelves. Its delicate feathered fronds bring a soft tropical canopy to humid setups, and it stays small enough for enclosed displays for years. Pair it with mosses and ferns from our live plant selection to build a lush emersed landscape.

Care Guide

• Emersed only: plant the roots in moist substrate at the water's edge or on land and keep the fronds up in the air. Do not submerge the plant.
• Humidity: loves the high humidity of a closed terrarium or paludarium.
• Lighting: low to moderate, indirect light. It naturally grows on shaded forest floors and scorches under harsh direct light.
• Growth: slow and tidy, so it rarely outgrows an enclosure.
• Watering: keep the substrate consistently moist but not waterlogged.

Specifications

Compatibility

Bella Palm is ideal for planted vivariums and paludariums housing dart frogs, tree frogs, geckos, and other humidity-loving inhabitants, and it looks at home on a riparium shelf above an aquarium. It combines well with mosses and ferns. It is not suitable for fully submersed aquascapes.

Recommended Foods & Supplies

• CaribSea Eco-Complete as a rooting substrate for riparium and paludarium use
• Mosses such as Christmas Moss for the ground layer
• More live plants for terrariums and aquascapes

FAQ

Can I grow this fully underwater? No. Bella Palm is a terrarium and riparium plant. Keep the roots damp and the foliage in humid air above the water, or it will rot.

How much light does it need? Low to moderate indirect light. It evolved on shaded rainforest floors and burns in harsh light.

How big does it get? It grows slowly, from about a foot to a few feet over several years, so it fits enclosed displays for a long time.

Is it good for a dart frog vivarium? Yes, it is a classic vivarium and paludarium plant for humid, low-light enclosures.