Kentia Palm

Additional Info

The kentia palm (Howeia) is one of the world’s most popular indoor palms. In fact, it’s sometimes called the sentry palm, presumably because of the entry ways it guards. The kentia palm is perhaps not the most beautiful or graceful of all palm trees, but it has everything you could ask for in an indoor palm: it’s shade tolerant, cold tolerant and doesn’t grow too alarmingly large. Under the right conditions, a kentia palm will eventually grow into a magnificent specimen plant, up to 10 feet tall.

It survives under indirect sunlight. Do not expose to direct sun unless the plant is acclimated as a seedling to direct sun. Water weekly in summer, letting soil dry between watering. Do not allow to sit in water. Perfect drainage is essential.  In cold season, it can withstand 55ºF. Prefers  warmer temperatures.

The kentia palm naturally grows with multiple stems topped with graceful, arching foliage. There are two popular varieties: H. forsteriana and H. belmoreana. H. Belmoreana is shorter with erect leaflets. A good fertilizer is essential to prevent yellowing leaves, and dead fronds can be removed. Don’t top-trim the palm or it will die. The tree will appreciate room as it grows to develop the full canopy—try to locate it someplace where people won’t be tempted to pull on the foliage. If possible, move the plant outside to a shady location for the summer months, increasing water and fertilizer.

Propagation:

By seed. Kentia palms will rarely seed indoors, so propagation is better left to growers.