WillC said:Majesty Palms are the one commonly used plant species that I would never recommend for indoor use. Big Box retailers love them because they are cheap to grow and they can offer a lot of plant for relatively low prices. Typically, they are grown in warm climates outdoors where they get lots of light and fresh air. They are then shipped to cooler climates without acclimating them to reduced light. Thus, they rarely last indoors for more than 6 months to a year.
Even the best grow lights are not an adequate substitute for the outdoor sun that these plants require.
In addition to requiring lots of sun and air circulation, they are extremely prone to spider mites and require a lot of water and fertilizer.
It is refreshing to come across this poignant explanation despite it being posted years ago, during which time, I learned all too well how truthful and accurate this comment from horticulturalhelp's WillC above actually was.
In Chicago, palm trees don't fair too well for very long, though you might be surprised they do quite well outside from June through September, as is clear by the ones that are brought here that get to enjoy extra long days with up to 16 hours of light, pretty high humidity along with daytime temps well into the 80s and 90s and only slightly cooler overnight lows.
This is very short-lived, however, and as an urban jungle enthusiast, I made the bold choice of parenting 4 rather large 8' + Majesty Palms - from a big box retailer, and a commonly used supplier for them, and oh what a learning experience that turned into for me.
Not only did I nurture them indoors in my condo in Chicago with brief excursion exceptions when the weather allowed, but I also came to fear the wrath of big box retailer attributable spider mites that happen to be quite fond of the fronds and colonize rapidly indoors without natural predation - particularly on the leaves underside, where pockets allow them a sort of sanctuary when Chicago's dry autumn air encourages them to rapidly multiply. Aside from going through every known remedy under the non-existent Chicago sun, my home was already also a sort of humid oasis which the mites tend to hate. I maintained the humidity moreso than one might otherwise due in large part to rather extensive indoor water features as well as components to control excess humidification while allowing me to utilize a series of compact pond fogging misters indoors.
This was still insufficient to deter the plant-killing pests, and along with dwindling hours of daylight, despite my best efforts to shower the ceiling-scraping Majesty Palms with thousands of watts of supplemental broad spectrum greenhouse lighting, the extra care measures still proved insufficient to keep the Majesty Palms from looking depressed.
Nevermind that all of this exacted an indirect and unintentional toll on my various other 40 or 50 so houseplants that underwent neglect, and cross-contamination of spider mites (prior to my strict plant social distancing policy), and that were forced to give up prime window and light space
for the sake of these towering tropical Majesty behemoths. That side effect was just the icing of an extra nuisance on the cake of a Majesty tragedy.
Two and half years of toil and trouble later, only one Majesty Palm survives and it stands roughly half as tall as it once was having been ravaged by mites and struggling to adjust to an unforgiving environment, and sadly I still feel quite proud that it has lived for when I brought home 4 massive palm trees, I never knew what commenter WillC said above so well and so concisely. His words are true, and unless you have a greenhouse, and all of the adequate amenities and conditions with which to nourish majesty palms, they are an awful choice for any home outside of Florida I imagine. That doesn't mean you can't have success growing one, as I have since punished myself for my mistakes, and now have in my care two much smaller majesty palms that have been well cared for and are quite healthy, but they are sort of my payback for the mistakes i made when i didnt know and I also judt enjoy making myself miserable with a challenge like having a tropical paradise in chicago. There are plenty of tropical plants and palm trees that are much better suited to any indoor space or home and just about anywhere you live, the majesty palm is not one, so unless you want to adorn your yard or mixed use space with their presence for a few months before giving them up as a lost cause, I suggest you go on to the next plant choice. Pictured is one of my majesty palms that remains healthy.... For now. The top soil has dried hardened diatomaceous earth which i remove and reapply liberally as a preventative pest control. Spider mites don't have a palette for yucca palms, so a healthy and tall one is also pictured along with a burgundy colored dracanea at a safe distance (just in case) because big box stores are a notorious ground zero for pests and spider mites can just about float in the air and travel on clothing as well, in case you happened to visit a big box garden center - just a heads up. Lol
