Chamaedorea elegans has been a houseplant since Victorian times, and it is still one of the few palms that genuinely thrives in an ordinary room rather than slowly declining in one.
It grows to about 1.2m (4ft) indoors, slowly, with soft arching fronds.
What every Parlour Palm wants
Medium to low light. Direct sun scorches the fronds, so a spot away from the window is better than one on the sill.
Water when the top few centimetres are dry. They are more sensitive to overwatering than underwatering, and root rot is the usual cause of death.
Brown frond tips are common and usually mean dry air or minerals in tap water. Neither is serious.
Parlour Palms are non-toxic to cats and dogs.