Bamboo palm vs Tree philodendron

Chamaedorea seifrizii · Philodendron bipinnatifidum

Pet safety: Bamboo palm is listed non-toxic to cats and dogs; Tree philodendron is toxic (insoluble calcium oxalates). If the two are sold under the same name, a mislabelled plant is a genuine risk in a house with animals.

Why these two get mixed up

Tree philodendron is recorded here as a pet-safe alternative to Bamboo palm, so the question is usually whether the swap is actually a fair one.

Bamboo palm (Chamaedorea seifrizii) — **Bamboo palm** — Chamaedorea seifrizii. Photograph by KENPEI, Wikimedia Commons , CC BY-SA 3.0.

Tree philodendron (Philodendron bipinnatifidum) — **Tree philodendron** — Philodendron bipinnatifidum. Photograph by VSA.bing, Wikimedia Commons , Public domain.

	Bamboo palm	Tree philodendron
Scientific name	Chamaedorea seifrizii	Philodendron bipinnatifidum
Family	Arecaceae	Araceae
Light floor	Low	Medium
Water	7–12 days	7–12 days
Humidity floor	40%	45%
Mature height	36–84 in	36–96 in
Habit	clumping	spreading
Growth rate	slow	moderate
Difficulty	Easy	Easy
Toxic to pets	No	Yes
Typical price	$30–100	$25–90

Highlighted cells are where the two actually differ. Everything else they share.

The differences that matter

Pet safety

This is the difference that matters most. Bamboo palm is listed non-toxic to cats and dogs; Tree philodendron is toxic (insoluble calcium oxalates). If the two are sold under the same name, a mislabelled plant is a genuine risk in a house with animals.

Light

Bamboo palm tolerates low light; Tree philodendron needs medium as a floor. Put the second in the first's spot and it stretches and declines.

Habit

Bamboo palm grows clumping; Tree philodendron grows spreading. That decides where each one physically works.

Not even related

Bamboo palm is Arecaceae, Tree philodendron is Araceae. They share a shop label and nothing else — different families, different continents, different care.

Which should you buy?

With a cat or dog in the house, take Bamboo palm. The other is toxic, and if the shop label is wrong you will not know which you have brought home.
In a dim room, take Bamboo palm.
If you forget to water, take either.
If it is your first plant, take either — both score 2 of 5.
For a small shelf, take Bamboo palm, which stops around 84 inches.

Full entries

Bamboo palm — care fields with sources, toxicity with every authority consulted, propagation and diagnosis. Tree philodendron — the same.

Sources

This database's own care records for Chamaedorea seifrizii and Philodendron bipinnatifidum — every figure compared above.
Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Plants of the World Online — accepted names and families for Chamaedorea seifrizii and Philodendron bipinnatifidum
ASPCA Animal Poison Control — toxicity classification for both, cited on each species entry
Photographs: Wikimedia Commons, individually credited and licensed above

Compiled and edited by Tony Valcarcel · 2026-09-12
Every comparison above is drawn from a recorded field. Where the honest distinguisher is visual we show both photographs rather than describing a leaf we have no field for. How this is sourced.