Madagascar Palm Tree Succulent Care

Madagascar Palm Trees in the wild can grow up to 20 feet tall! Now if you chose to grow this plant inside it will get nowhere near that height, and your succulent will probably grow to a maximum of 4-6 feet tall.

Madagascar Palm Tree

Despite its name, Madagascar Palm Trees aren't palm trees! They are actually in the succulent and cactus family which makes them great indoor houseplants!

Light: Madagascar Palms require bright light. In order to keep this plant healthy, you should place it as close to a window you can too give it lots of light. If you notice that the leaves on your Madagascar Palm Tree begin to lean to one side, your succulent is not getting enough light. To correct the lean, give your succulent more light and rotate your plant every once and a while.

Water: Water your plant once a week except in winter water it every other week. Make sure you do not overwater your Madagascar Palm Tree because it is a succulent that likes dryer conditions. If you overwater your plant, it may lead to root rot which could kill your plant.

Soil: Use a well-draining potting mix. Succulent and Cactus potting mixes from the store work great!'

Pot: Do not use too big of a pot for your Madagascar Palm Tree as it could stunt its growth. Make sure to use a terracotta pot instead of a ceramic pot to help prevent root rot.

Growth: Madagascar Palm Trees are slow-growing plants indoors. Do not expect any growth over the winter months. In the summer, you should see the growth of a couple of inches a year.

Pests: The most common pest on Madagascar Palm Trees is mealybugs. Mealybugs look like tiny, white, furry slugs. Mealybugs are slow to do damage to your plant so you might not notice them until there are a ton of them on your plant. 

To get rid of mealybugs:

1. Isolate your plant from the rest of your collection.

2. Pick off all visible mealybugs with tweezers.

3. Spray your plant with a mixture of half water half rubbing alcohol.

4. Spray your plant with diluted neem oil to help prevent future pest outbreaks.

5. Repeat these steps once a week until the mealybugs are completely gone.

Another common pest on Madagascar Palms is spider mites. Spider mites can be dealt with in a similar way to mealybugs except you will not be able to pick off each individual mite as they are too small. Remove the webs instead and then spray your plant with half water half rubbing alcohol. 

Madagascar Palm Tree when I first got it

My Madagascar Palm Tree after one year of growth

Madagascar Palm Trees are a great and easy succulent to grow. They add a look of uniqueness to any plant collection! The spikes on this succulent are sharp so be careful with this plant around children and pets. The bottom leaves of this succulent will naturally drop off as the plant grows so do not panic if this begins to happen.

Good Luck!

Lily's Indoor Jungle