LADY PALM

Lady Palm is said to be a good overall air purifier, removing most air pollutants. Notes: Prefers indirect sunlight, and watering without fertilizers. Benefits: These types of houseplants clean formaldehyde, toluene, and xylene out of your home

The lady palm is called a fan palm because it has thin, individual stalks originating from its base that end in fan-shaped leaves. Its stalks are similar to bamboo, with prominent nodes and dark rings at each node. The lower part of each stalk is covered in a coarse, loose, brown-colored fiber, adding to the plant's interesting appearance, while its leaves are extremely dark green and quite shiny. As a lady palm matures, it forms an expanding, dense clump of stalks and leaves. A relatively slow-growing plant, the lady palm can grow up to 10 feet tall when grown outdoors under ideal conditions.

Because of their dense foliage, lady palms make good screening plants or hedges when planted in groups. Generally tough plants, they also are quite adaptable to urban settings, where they make useful foundation plantings or do well planted in tubs or large planters. Because of their fan-shaped leaves, lady palms are also especially attractive outdoors when lit from below. In regions with cold winters, a lady palm can be grown in a pot outdoors from late spring to early fall, then moved indoors for the winter. The best indoor spot is one that receives bright but indirect light, such as near a curtained south- or west-facing window.