Majesty palm (Ravenea rivularis) care

Palms · needs attention to keep

Last updated 26 October 2026

Majesty palm (Ravenea rivularis) wants bright light; a little direct sun is fine. Water it every 5 days. Keep the compost consistently damp. Unusually for a palm it is a riverbank plant in the wild and wants it, but it still must not stand in water. Pot it in standard compost with perlite. A weak balanced feed monthly in spring and summer only, and repot every 2 years. Humidity: above 50%; dry air brings spider mites. The ASPCA lists it as non-toxic to cats and dogs.

The majesty palm: feathery, arching fronds on a single stem, sold cheaply and in huge numbers as an indoor palm — and one of the harder ones to keep looking good indoors. It is a riverbank tree from Madagascar and wants far more light and water than most rooms give it.

Quick facts

Water: Water every 5 days. Keep the compost consistently damp. Unusually for a palm it is a riverbank plant in the wild and wants it, but it still must not stand in water.
Light: Bright light; a little direct sun is fine.
Humidity: Above 50%; dry air brings spider mites.
Soil: Standard compost with perlite.
Feeding: A weak balanced feed monthly in spring and summer only.
Repotting: Repot every 2 years.
Toxic to pets: Non-toxic to cats and dogs. The ASPCA lists Majesty Palm (Ravenea rivularis) as non-toxic to cats and dogs (checked 26 October 2026).
Difficulty: Needs attention.
Mature size: 1.5–3 m indoors.
Native to: Madagascar.

Watering a Majesty palm

Water every 5 days. Keep the compost consistently damp. Unusually for a palm it is a riverbank plant in the wild and wants it, but it still must not stand in water.

That cadence is the one PlantParlour sets for this species when you name it, and it is deliberately on the cautious side — a plant that asks a day early is safer than one that asks a day late. Log each watering and the reminder moves with the plant rather than with the calendar.

Light

Bright light — far more than a parlour palm wants. Majesty palms are sold as low-light plants and slowly decline in them: the fronds thin and yellow, and the plant never fills back in.

Humidity and temperature

Above 50%; dry air brings spider mites. Central heating in winter is what turns a comfortable room into a dry one, and it is the usual reason an established plant suddenly browns at the edges or picks up spider mites.

Soil and potting

Ordinary peat-free compost with perlite through it. Palms want moisture-retentive but never waterlogged.

Feeding

A weak balanced feed monthly in spring and summer only. Stop feeding in autumn and start again when you see new growth in spring — feeding a plant that isn't growing just builds up salts in the pot.

Repotting

Repot every 2 years. Every two or three years, and reluctantly — palm roots resent disturbance. What is sold as one plant is usually a dozen seedlings in a pot; keep them together.

Common problems

Brown tips on every frond
Dry air, hard tap water, or a dry spell. Almost universal indoors.

Fix: Raise humidity, water with rainwater, and trim the brown off with scissors following the leaf's own shape.

Brown tips and edges: how to read it on any plant
Spider mites
Dry warm air. Palms are a favourite.

Fix: Shower the fronds, both sides, and treat weekly for a month.

Spider mites: how to read it on any plant
Whole fronds yellowing from the bottom
Normal ageing if one at a time; overwatering if several.

Fix: Cut old fronds off at the base and check the mix is not staying wet.

Yellow leaves: how to read it on any plant

Propagation

From seed only. A clump can be split, but each piece is an individual seedling and splitting often kills several.

A cutting taken in PlantParlour keeps its link to the plant it came from, so a propagation years later still traces back to the mother plant — which is the point if you ever sell or trade it.

Toxicity and safety

Non-toxic to cats and dogs.

The ASPCA lists Majesty Palm (Ravenea rivularis) as non-toxic to cats and dogs (checked 26 October 2026).

If your pet has eaten a plant, call your vet, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center on (888) 426-4435, or the Pet Poison Helpline on (855) 764-7661. Both are open around the clock and may charge a consultation fee. Take the plant or its label with you.

This is general information, not veterinary advice. We don't test plants: what we say about toxicity follows the ASPCA's published plant list as it stood on 26 October 2026, and that list can change. "Non-toxic" means not poisonous — a pet that eats enough of any plant can still vomit, and fertiliser, pesticide or leaf shine on a plant can harm it. It also only helps if the plant is what you think it is. It covers cats and dogs only; ask your vet about rabbits, birds, reptiles or anything else, and a doctor about children. Read our terms.

Every houseplant in the library the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs

Questions people ask

How often should you water a Majesty palm?

Water every 5 days as a starting point — that is the cadence PlantParlour sets for Ravenea rivularis. Keep the compost consistently damp. Unusually for a palm it is a riverbank plant in the wild and wants it, but it still must not stand in water. Light, pot size and the time of year all move that number, so treat it as a reminder to go and check rather than a rule.

How much light does a Majesty palm need?

Bright light — far more than a parlour palm wants. Majesty palms are sold as low-light plants and slowly decline in them: the fronds thin and yellow, and the plant never fills back in.

Is Majesty palm toxic to cats and dogs?

Non-toxic to cats and dogs. The ASPCA lists Majesty Palm (Ravenea rivularis) as non-toxic to cats and dogs (checked 26 October 2026). If a pet has eaten part of a plant, call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center on (888) 426-4435 straight away.

How do you propagate a Majesty palm?