Can anyone identify this houseplant?

[travelchops]

I've been gifted this lovely looking houseplant but I have no clue what it is! It has no labels or anything on it. Ive not kept houseplants before so I have no idea whatsoever where to even start.

I've had a brief google but I'm not having much luck really as I'm not really sure what to search.

I'm on the app so hopefully pic will attach!

It’s a parlour palm. Very popular in Victorian times on the middle of a round table with a lacy cloth on!

Google parlour palm. Most of the examples will be more mature than yours but I am certain this is what it is!

Aspidistra. Cast Iron plant. So named because it's hard to kill it.

Aspidistra is the same as a parlour palm

It's not an aspidistra, it's a palm.

Parlour palms and aspidistras are both pretty tough. As far as I can tell, this has fringy palm leaves rather than sword-like aspidistra ones. Keep out of direct sunlight and water when the top inch or so of compost has dried out. Dust the leaves occasionally.

Thank you! I've had a google of both quickly and definitely doesn't look like a cast iron plant but does look like a small parlour palm

When you say water do I water the compost or the saucer?

The parlour palm is chamaedorea elegans (an actual palm), not aspidistra elatior (which isn't).

In any case, this is either a chamadedorea or a small kentia palm.

Yamadori hmm this does actually look like a kentia palm. Very tricky one there!

I'm guessing the advice on keeping it alive will be very similar?

My money is on kentia but they’re not appreciably different in care requirements. Water from the top.

As you are new to house plants just a reminder to feed it occasionally in spring and summer with baby bio and as it grows bigger, you can repot it into a bigger pot, using compost - multi purpose will be fine and can get small bags in super markets.

People tend to kill house plants with too much water not too little.