The parlor palm has been a houseplant since Victorian drawing rooms, and it earned the spot: it is one of the very few palms that stays lush in the low, indirect light of a typical room, and it is completely pet-safe. Delicate arching fronds give it a soft, airy look on a table or shelf.
It is sold as a clump of several seedlings, which is what gives it its full look, and it grows slowly, so it stays in scale for years. The two things it won't forgive are soggy roots and dry, dusty air - keep it lightly moist, mist or group it if your air runs dry, and watch the frond undersides for spider mites, its one persistent pest.
One of the few palms that genuinely tolerates low to medium indirect light. Keep it out of direct sun, which yellows and scorches the fronds.
Water when the top inch of soil is dry
Feed lightly with a balanced fertiliser
Rinse or wipe the fronds to keep them dust-free
Check the frond undersides for spider mites in dry air
Repot only when tightly root-bound - it resents disturbance