Howea Forsteriana Kentia Palm Care Tips

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Kentia palm care comes with a rich history few indoor houseplants can claim.

The upright “Kentia palm Howea Forsteriana” with its beautiful, arching, dark green leaves has graced the background photos of royalty in the Victorian era earning the name ‘Parlor Palm.”

Kentia Palm care at Gaylord Palms Hotel is always excellentPin
Kentia Palm trees growing at the Gaylord Palms Hotel, Orlando, Florida, United States, November 2017

There’s also another Kentia called Howea belmoreana, Belmore sentry palm and curly palm.

Kentia Palm Plant Facts

  • Origin: Lord Howe Island, New South Wales, Australia
  • Family: Arecaeae
  • Botanical Name: Howea Forsteriana [hou’-ee-ah] [for-ster-ee-AY-na]
  • Common Name: Kentia Palm, Sentry Palm, Parlor Palm
  • Plant Type: Evergreen perennial
  • Size: Indoors 5′-12′ feet tall
  • Hardiness: USDA hardiness zone 9b -11
  • Exposure: bright location, indirect morning sunlight
  • Soil: good drainage and fast draining on the sandy side
  • Water: Thoroughly water and allow soil to dry
  • Fertilizer: slow-release
  • Propagation: seed
  • Pests & Problems: Spider mites, scale insects, mealybugs

Kentia Palm Elegant Stunning Accent Palm Trees

Recently, doing some channel surfing, I ran across an old movie. In the background was the “Kentia” a popular indoor palm and one of the toughest and most elegant palms for interior use around.

The Kentia is simply a great indoor plant!



Decorators love kentia palm indoors for its singular, slender shape which provides a stunning accent.

The botanical name is Howea Forsteriana [hou’-ee-ah] [for-ster-ee-AY-na], but is known more commonly as the Kentia forsteriana or the sentry palm.

The Kentia is an upright palm with beautiful, arching, dark green leaves. Its use as an indoor palm dates back to the socialite days of the Victorian era. Many call this species – “tree in a pot.”

Kentias are generally available in the 5′-12′ foot tall range for indoor use.

The name “kentia” comes from a town Kentia on Lord Howe Island east of Australia where the palm grows naturally and the Kentia palm can reach a height of 60′ feet tall.

Today, seed (strictly regulated) is still imported from the island and grown in both Hawaii and California.

Kentias do not have a tap root, and do very well as a containerized palm. They are usually grown as single plants until they reach a certain height.

Then the palms are matched up and planted as multiples of 2 to 5 plants per pot and grown on. This process can take 4 to 7 years before the Kentia are ready for sale.

collection of kentia plamsPin

Kentia Palm Care – The Light Indicator

Here is a “light indicator” for Kentia palm plant care – in low light the plant may only hold 4 to 6 fronds, in medium light levels you may see twice as many fronds. So, generally the more indirect light, the better.

These indoor palms grow pretty tall, root bound in rather small pots. When you water your Kentia palm make sure the entire root ball is watered, and allow a least one-half of the potting soil mixture to dry.

DO NOT keep the root ball moist or wet all the time or root rotting will occur.

Although the Kentia is versatile and will tolerate low-light conditions, a bright location with indirect sunlight in the morning should provide enough light and intensity to sustain this floor plant and allow for proper care.

What Is The Best Potting Mix For Kentias?

Most Kentias are grown in small pots with the root system in a somewhat root bound condition. This makes the potting soil conditions an important part of Kentia palm care.

The soil mix should provide good drainage as well as fast drainage to prevent root rot.

The small pots need to carry some weight so the plant does not get top heavy due to the weight of the fronds.

A houseplant potting soil with additional sand added for both drainage and weight along with a slow-release fertilizer should provide the stability and nutrients this “evergreen tree” requires.

How Will You Know If You Are Overwatering Your Kentia Palm?

Look for the fronds with yellowing tips, then yellow speckling and followed by browning of the Kentia’s leaf tips. During the winter time be especially careful not to over water your kentia.

What Happens With Underwatering Kentias?

An under watered Howea will develop brown tips, and the fronds will not be as erect and possibly leaning.

Remember, when growing a Kentia, these palms are slow growers. While caring for your Kentia if you must prune do so selectively (trimming yellow tips) to the leaves and don’t remove the entire frond.

The Kentia is one of the best palms to grow and easy to maintain like the tough, durable Rhapis palm, and more expensive than other palms like the Majesty Palm – I would NEVER recommend using the Majesty Palm tree as an indoor plant. A properly maintained and cared for Kentia palm can be enjoyed for years and years.

The Kentia is considered as “vulnerable” by the World Conservation union, but this Australian native Kentia palm (Howea forsteriana) is still one of the world’s most beautiful palms grown for either indoors or kentia palm outdoors.

What Pests And Diseases Are Kentia Palms Prone To?

Red Spider Mites are the number one pests on Kentias palms and most indoor palms. The mites enjoy the warm room temperatures, and the dry, low humidity levels found most living rooms. Look for these tiny pests on the undersides of the fronds.

Cleaning any dust buildup and wiping fronds with a damp cloth can help reduce mite populations.

Scale bugs on palm plants look like waxy, brown oval bumps tend to collect on the underside of the fronds and on the stem.

Applications of Neem Oil pesticide spray will help “discourage” spider mites, scale insects and mealybugs from sucking the plant juices from you Kentia.

Background & History of Howea forsteriana The Kentia Palm

The Kentia plant got its scientific name, Howea forsteriana, from Lord Howe Island in Australia for the Howea part and Howea belmoreana another species from Sir Isaac Bayley Balfour (1853-1922), Botany Professor and keeper of the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh.

Characterized by a slender trunk with slightly raised annular trunk rings and a graceful crown of dark-green drooping fronds.

It has a series of arching, feather-like, dark green, droopy leaves radiating from small trunks. Established kentia palm specimens can be expensive.

These leaves can grow up to 3 meters long on thornless petioles. While the leaves produce an airy and poised look, the finger-shaped leaflets bend downward in a fashionable two-tone look.

The kentia palm produces an inflorescence consists of white flowers and dull red egg-shaped mature fruits. Although they are slow growers, Kentia palms can grow to about 6 to 18 meters as a solitary tree.

Kentia Palm is a wonderful specimen palm, popular as an indoor durable houseplant, adding class to any setting – elegant hotel lobbies, restaurants, malls and private residences.

Smaller Kentia palm specimens require low light levels while larger ones require direct sunlight. But generally, they need exact watering, well-drained soil and moisture to grow at their best.

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