Threatened

Howea Palm (Kentia Palm)

Howea spp.

Division: Tracheophyta
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Arecales
Family: Arecaceae
Genus: Howea
Species: forsteriana and belmoreana

OVERVIEW

A small, oceanic island between Australia and New Zealand is home to the Kentia palm (also known as the paradise palm or the thatch palm) H. forsteriana and the Belmore sentry palm H. belmoreana. Part of the state of New South Wales, Australia, Lord Howe Island is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, the palms grow in lowlands and foothills. Among the most popular ornamental palms in the world, the feathery palms also represent one of just two significant sources of income for the island. (The other is tourism.) Nurseries collect seeds to cultivate the palms, and trade is highly regulated. While the palms may be planted as a single trunk, it’s common for growers to cluster two to five seedlings into a single pot for a fuller, bushier look.

CHARACTERISTICS

Dark green, lacy fronds radiate from the trunk, and two-foot leaflets typically droop a bit. As a palm grows, the oldest fronds die and eventually fall off. The slender trunk of a Howea is marked with rings, which are scars left from old fronds. Flower spikes protrude from among the fronds, starting upright and eventually hanging down as the seeds grow heavy. Seeds start out green and turn red or even blackish as they mature.

CULTIVATION

If you live in a tropical or subtropical region, you may be able to grow Howea outdoors. (They do well Hawaii and California.) But the palms grow slowly, and they won’t grow as large as they do in their natural environment. They prefer light shade, good drainage, and plenty of water (less in winter, when growth slows). Remove dead fronds with scissors—don’t pull on them—and never cut a growing stem (trunk), or the palm with die.

You can also grow a Howea palm indoors. (H. forsteriana generally does better than H. belmoreana.) It will stop growing at about 10 feet. Kentia palms are said to be one of the easiest palms to grow in a pot inside, and they lend a distinctly tropical feel to an indoor space. They need low light, but keep them out of direct sun. Keep the soil moist, but not soggy. Misting the plant will provide humidity.

PARLOR PALM

Kentia palms were first imported to Europe in mid 1800s and became admired “parlor palms” during the Victorian era. Palm courts filled with kentias became popular; large, luxurious ocean liners—such as the Titanic—had palm courts, too. Kentias are still the palms you’ll most likely find in the palm courts of hotels such as Plaza Hotel in Manhattan.

SIZE MATTERS

On Lord Howe Island, the Kentia palm H. forsteriana can reach 40 feet tall and 20 feet wide, with 9-foot fronds, and the related Belmore sentry palm H. belmoreana reaches 25 feet tall and 15 feet wide, with 7-foot fronds.

THATCH, NATCH

Early settlers of Lord Howe islands used fronds to thatch their homes, and some people still call it by the name “thatch palm.”

CONSERVATION

In the wilderness, both species of Howea are categorized as Vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Palm enthusiasts can rest assured, however, that those for sale in reputable nurseries have been cultivated—not collected from the wilderness.