Cat Palm

Cat palm (*Chamaedorea cataractarum*) is a clumping, trunkless palm with slender stems and dark-green pinnate fronds. The Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens lists it at 4–6 feet tall and 6–8 feet wide, with partial to full shade and regularly moist, well-drained soil ([garden profile](https://www.pslbg.org/cat-palm/)). ## Placement Use it beneath filtered light or in a shaded spot with room for its broad clump. The botanical garden describes it as suitable for large containers and shaded plantings; its listed USDA range is 9a–11. Clemson Extension also identifies cat palm as an indoor palm that grows in stemless clumps and thrives in bright light ([Clemson guide](https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/indoor-palms/)). ## Maintenance Keep the potting mix evenly moist but not soggy, watering when the surface begins to dry. Palms grow from a central point and should not be cut back to reduce their height. Remove only dead or damaged fronds and protect the plant from chilling temperatures.