Plant guide
Lady palm
Rhapis excelsa
Lady palm is considered non-toxic to cats. Its fan-shaped leaves can suit an indoor corner with indirect light, while the pot stays out of chewing reach.
Non-toxic does not mean edible. Eating plant material can still upset your cat’s stomach.
What this guide covers: Rhapis excelsa only. Check the botanical name; a photo cannot establish the identity of your plant.
Photo:
Photo details
Rhapis excelsa — Form
By Eric in SF
License: CC BY-SA 4.0
Resized and converted to WebP for display; botanical details unchanged.
This displayed image is shared under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 license.
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Photo:
Photo details
Rhapis excelsa — Form
By Eric in SF
License: CC BY-SA 4.0
Resized and converted to WebP for display; botanical details unchanged.
This displayed image is shared under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 license.
Lady palm
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Non-toxic does not mean edible. Chewing plants can still upset your cat’s stomach.
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Look for Rhapis excelsa and check the selected variety. Listings and availability can change.
Plant identity
- Scientific name
- Rhapis excelsa
- Scope
- Species
- Family
- Not recorded
- Also known as
- No reviewed aliases available
Find the right spot
How to grow this plant
Rhapis excelsa only. Check the botanical name; a photo cannot establish the identity of your plant.
- Light
- Medium indirect light
Indirect light; tolerates deep shade indoors.
- Watering
Water regularly with good drainage; reduce watering in winter.
- Temperature
- Temperature range not yet established
Bring outdoor pots inside before temperatures drop below 50°F; this is not a preferred range.
- Humidity
Tolerates relatively low humidity.
- Potting
- Well-drained potting mix.
- Through the year
- Feed during active growth. Established clumps may be divided at the rhizomes.
Growing-guide sources
- Rhapis excelsa ↗NC State Extension · Accessed 2026-10-16
Rhapis excelsa only. Check the botanical name; a photo cannot establish the identity of your plant.
Growing advice reviewed 2026-10-17. Plant safety is assessed separately.
Reviewed safety information
- Toxic principle
- Not recorded in the reviewed evidence
- Reported signs
- Not recorded in the reviewed evidence
Missing information is unknown. It should not be interpreted as an absence of risk.
Safe alternatives
No verified alternative recommendations are available for this guide.
Sources & review
- Lady palm: source assessment ↗Veterinary Poisons Information Service · Accessed
Safety last reviewed .