Rhapis humilis aka Reed Rhapis

Rhapis humilis is a palm in the Arecaceae family. People call it reed rhapis or slender lady palm. Kew lists three parts of China as its native range. These are Guangxi, Guizhou, and the southeast of Yunnan. Kew calls it a shrub from the subtropical biome, a warm climate zone. The RHS accepts its name. It lists the palm as non-native to Britain and Ireland.

This palm has tall, thin canes clad in fine fibres. The fibres lie close against each cane. PACSOA says the canes can reach 20 feet [6 metres]. It gives no separate usual height for garden plants. It gives no mature spread, or width, either. The canes are thinner than those of Rhapis excelsa. They are thicker than those of Rhapis subtilis. PACSOA says they also grow taller than other Rhapis canes.

The leaves are dull, dark green and have thin blades. Each leaf splits into as many as twelve segments. The pointed ends of these parts bend down a little. This gives the leaves a soft look as they arch. The leaves are much the same size as Rhapis excelsa leaves. Their greater count of segments helps tell the two apart. Fine stem fibres and split leaves give much of its appeal. The source gives no exact leaf size for this species.

PACSOA says all known plants grown in gardens are male. It thus says growers have raised this stock from offsets, or side shoots. This matters when you choose how to grow more plants. The evidence backs the use of offsets for new plants. It does not back seed production from plants in gardens. It gives no bloom season or fruit details for this species. The RHS gives flower and fruit facts for the genus. Those facts do not cover this species alone.

Heat can harm this palm, and dry heat adds stress. PACSOA says to mist the leaves in summer for leaf health. The type of water matters, too. Hard water can soon turn the leaf tips brown. The account sees promise for gardens in temperate, or mild, zones. It gives no firm frost limit or hardiness zone. The species sources do not state its soil or light needs. They give no pest list or uses for food or medicine. They do not assess whether the plant is toxic. These gaps do not mean the plant is safe.