Plant primer: Metallica palm

Height: 5 to 10 feet

Spread: 1 to 5 feet

Zone: 9

Origin: Mexico

The metallica palm, Chamaedorea metallica, is easily distinguishable from other palms because of its unique leaves.

This plant is commonly known as the dwarf fishtail palm because its leaves are split at the end, making them look like fish tails.

Leaves are 10 to 15 inches wide and up to 30 inches long with extremely pronounced veins. The color of the leaves is an interesting metallic blue-green. Leaves stem from a single, thin green trunk with ring-shaped markings from leaf scars.

The flowers of the metallica palm are small and open in shades of red, orange and purple. Flowers appear on a branched inflorescence, a flower cluster on a stem that has a main branch and side branches. The inedible fruit is small and elliptical, starting green and maturing to black. The metallica palm's sap can irritate skin.

Metallica palms make excellent houseplants because of their slow growth rate, lower mature height and low light needs. This plant is not picky about growing conditions. Metallica palm has medium water needs; water when the soil surface is dry. See these rock stars in the Grand Atrium at Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.

— Barbara Arnold, Franklin Park Conservatory