KENTIA PALM

HOWEA FORSTERIANA

With its eye-catching, elegant foliage, this plant will add height and tropical glamour to a room. The kentia palm is a popular choice as it forms a very upright plant, unlike many other palms, which have a more arching form—its habit makes it easier to fit into a small room.

HEIGHT 10ft (3m)

SPREAD 6ft 6in (2m)

FLOWERS Rarely blooms indoors

FOLIAGE Dark green

LIGHT Light shade

TEMPERATURE 55–75°F (13–24°C)

CARE Fairly easy

PLACE OF ORIGIN Australia

CARE

The kentia palm is a problem-solver: if you have a room with a bare corner in moderate humidity that receives little sunlight, this palm will thrive there.

Plant in an organically enriched potting mix in a heavy, generous container (large plants can become top-heavy). Only water the plant when the top of the potting mix is slightly dry and avoid overwatering it in the winter. Feed with a balanced liquid feed every two weeks during spring and summer.

The kentia palm is popular for its tolerance of neglect. To keep this easygoing plant happy, simply mist it regularly, keep away from drafts, and prune out only damaged or yellowing leaves. This is a slow-growing plant, so you won’t need to repot it more than every three years.

PROBLEM SOLVING Brown tips on the leaves are often caused by draft or dry air. Simply snip them off, move the plant, and mist the foliage more regularly. The kentia palm is prone to attack from red spider mites and mealybugs. If the red spider mites are only affecting one leaf, remove the leaf to curb the spread.

Kentia palms have great presence and impact when displayed in groups of three.

DISPLAY

Put some thought into where you place your palm. These are structural feature plants and, in a large home, a pair of them will look stunning framing a doorway. Small specimens are popular tabletop plants and larger specimens will create a focal point. Invest in one large specimen, and a room can soon be transformed into a tropical paradise. If growing in a large container, consider planting the base with trailing or smaller foliage plants that also tolerate shade, such as devil’s ivy and Boston fern.

Houseplants A–Z | KENTIA PALM

ALSO TRY

Palms add height, glamour, and a tropical touch. If you have a room with filtered sunlight, the kentia palm may not be suitable. But there are other striking palms that prefer higher light levels, including:

• Areca palm (Dypsis lutescens), height 6ft 6in (2m). This plant has a more of an arching habit than the kentia palm but a very similar look.
• Fishtail palm (Caryota mitis), height 8ft (2.5m). This plant’s upright habit and unusual fronds are made up of striking, fishtail-shaped foliage.

The areca palm looks best when its arching stems are given space.