Costa Rica Bamboo Palm

Costa Rica bamboo palm (*Chamaedorea costaricana*), also called pacaya, forms clumps of slender green stems with pinnate leaves. The Universidad Francisco Marroquín arboretum reports growth up to 8 meters in humid forests from Mexico to South America, while the University of Costa Rica botanical garden describes colonial clumps with stems reaching 6 meters ([arboretum profile](https://arboretum.ufm.edu/plantas/chamaedorea-costaricana/); [Costa Rica botanical garden profile](https://jmo.biologia.ucr.ac.cr/chamaedorea-costaricana/)). ## Form and scale These accounts agree on a large, clumping palm but report different maximum stem heights. Allow space for a mature colony; the larger published upper bound is about 26 feet. Kew recognizes *C. costaricana* as an accepted species in the genus ([Kew listing](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:331165-2)). ## Maintenance The species is documented from humid forest, but these botanical sources do not give a detailed garden care schedule. Use local guidance for light and watering rather than assuming another *Chamaedorea* species has the same needs.