The lady palm (Rhapis excelsa) is a small fan palm that can do exceedingly well indoors under the right conditions. It grows from multiple stems, each topped with upright fronds. The fronds are split into fan-like segments, as might be used by ladies in olden times. The lady palm, sometimes called the bamboo palm or miniature fan palm, is the best suited of all the fan palms to indoor cultivation. Most of the others, such as the imposing Washingtonia or the European fan palm, quickly grow too large for the average room. Along with the slender lady palm the Rhapis also gets called by many other different common names like bamboo palm much most known as the Chamaedorea reed palm, fan palm, finger palm, parlor palm. In general, lady palms are an indoor plant. This is mostly because they do so well in the shade. In fact, the plants leaves change color in the shade, appearing darker and more variegated (if you are growing a striped variety) when grown indoors. Lady palms can thrive in any kind of light from shade to full sunlight. The best results will likely be found in full, but indirect sunlight. The more shade its exposed to, the darker green the leaves will be.