Why the Leaves of Your Cat Palm Are Drooping

Is your cat palm not being its usual self? Are the leaves starting to droop? Here are the most common reasons for drooping cat palm leaves and steps you can take to revive the plant.

Cat Palm Watering Needs

Cat palms aren’t too difficult to care for but one aspect of plant care you will need to pay special attention to is the watering. Cat palms don’t tolerate soggy or dry soil. They need to be grown in well-drained soil that contains the right level of moisture. Over-watering is a fairly common reason for the leaves of the cat palm to gradually droop. When you water the cat palm, you should only add a little of water at a time until you start to see water drain out from the bottom of the pot. The soil should only be watered when the top inches feel dry to touch. Generally speaking, it’s easier to revive an under-watered plant than an over-watered one so be careful with your plant watering habits.

Cat Palm Temperature Needs

Cat palms are tropical plants so they prefer to be grown in warm conditions. They also prefer to live in humid conditions so these are two factors you will need to pay close attention to, especially if you live in a place that gets cold, dry winters. A comfortable temperature range for cat palms is between 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. For humidity, you are looking to maintain somewhere close to 55%. One simple way to maintain this is by misting the plant leaves every once in a while. This should help the drooping leaf effect.

Cat Palms with Damaged Roots

The roots of the cat palm tree are quite sensitive so they can get easily damaged with the slightest of disturbance. It’s not an uncommon sight for drooping cat palm leaves after the plant has been transplanted. You may need to give it some time for the root system to establish itself again. More importantly, if you are planning to transplant the cat palm because the root system has filled up the existing container then you’ll need to be absolutely careful not to separate the root system while the plant is being transplanted.