Why Is it Called a Cat Palm Tree?

Name

• The scientific name for the cat palm is Chamaedorea cataractarum. The plant's common name is a derivative of the Latin. Chamaedorea is the genus or general classification for palm trees and cataractarum is the species name for this particular palm.

Description

• The cat palm is a low-growing ground plant that reaches a height between 2 and 6 feet. It grows from the base up, adding dark green basal shoots as it ages. The palm's long narrow fronds were adapted to prevent the palm from washing away in flash floods in its native stream beds.

Growth

• The cat palm is a slow-growing tree requiring lots of water and shade. When grown indoors, the cat palm should not be allowed to sit in too much water, as it is susceptible to spider mite invasions. As the cat palm grows it produces yellow flowers and quarter-inch black fruit.