Kentia palm overview
The slow, elegant indoor palm from Lord Howe Island. USDA 9b to 11 outdoors, the standard hotel-lobby palm everywhere colder.
Region of origin
Lord Howe Island
Native countries
Historical discovery
Ferdinand von Mueller named it Kentia forsteriana. Beccari moved it to Howea in 1877. Wild plants are confined to Lord Howe Island.
Names
Common names
Kentia palm, Paradise palm, Thatch palm
Synonyms
- Kentia forsteriana F.Muell.
Cold hardiness
Survives about 28°F / -2°C. Outdoor range USDA 9b–11b. Hover or click a zone, state, or country. Switch the U.S. map between states and hardiness zones.
Highlighted USDA zones 9b–11b. Green countries can be grown outdoors.
United States
In range Too cold
World
Native Can be grown
Alaska and Hawaii are state outlines with their overall zone range. A country is painted if its mildest inhabited winter is at least one USDA step milder than this palm’s hardiness.
Scientific facts
- It tolerates lower light than areca, which is why hotels still buy it.
- Growth is slow. That is the point indoors. You are not fighting a ceiling every year.
- Howea belmoreana is the curly kentia, a related Lord Howe species with more upright, arching leaflets.
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Full care guide
The kentia palm is the slow, elegant feather palm from Lord Howe Island and the default lobby plant for a reason. It takes lower light than an areca, grows slowly, and looks finished instead of frantic. Outdoors it wants USDA 9b to 11. Everywhere else, it is a pot plant.
Common Names:
Kentia palm, paradise palm, thatch palm.
Scientific Name:
Howea forsteriana (F.Muell.) Becc. Older tags say Kentia forsteriana.
Origin:
Lord Howe Island, Australia. Wild plants are not a mainland Australian forest palm.
Appearance:
A solitary feather palm (often sold as a multi-plant pot) with dark green, drooping leaflets and a clean, ringed trunk on older plants. The related Howea belmoreana has more erect, curly leaflets.
Growth Rate:
Slow. One of the virtues indoors. Outdoors in frost-free gardens it still takes years to look like a tree.
Max Growth Height:
30 to 50 feet in the ground in the right climate. Indoors, 6 to 12 feet over many years is a large specimen.
Foliage Spread:
About 10 to 15 feet outdoors. Indoor pots stay narrower.
Cold Hardiness and Hardiness Zone:
USDA 9b to 11 outdoors. Damage around 28°F (-2°C). Coastal California and similar winters can work with protection. Zone 8 is a parlor palm problem, not a kentia yard.
Soil Type:
Rich, moist, well-drained mix. Indoors, a quality potting mix with drainage. Do not let it sit in water.
Fruit and Flowering:
Dull red fruit on mature plants. Indoor specimens rarely fruit.
Can it Grow Indoors:
Yes. This is one of the best large indoor palms if you can stand the price and the slow growth.
Light Requirements:
Bright indirect. It takes lower light than areca, not a windowless hallway. Outdoors: filtered sun to bright shade. Harsh inland afternoon sun can scorch.
Water Requirements:
Even moisture. Let the top inch dry slightly. Dry root balls and then a flood is how you get brown leaflets.
Maintenance Level:
Low. Dust the fronds. Feed in the growing season with palm-specific fertilizer lightly. Do not overpot. Kentia likes to be a little snug.
Common Diseases/Pests:
Spider mites in dry rooms, scale, and mealybugs. Check new store plants before they share a room with the rest of the collection.
Plant Care:
Bright room, even water, no freeze. Outdoors, plant in filtered light in a frost-free garden. Indoors, pay for a good plant once instead of replacing cheap arecas every year if low light is your problem.
Kentia palm Frequently Asked Questions:
1. Kentia or areca for a dim room?
Kentia. Areca wants more light. Parlor palm is the still-smaller low-light choice.
2. Why is kentia so expensive?
Slow growth and a limited native island. You are paying for years already spent in a nursery.
3. Can it go outside in summer?
Yes, in shade, then back in before nights drop into the 40s. Do not bake it in full inland sun.
4. Is Howea belmoreana the same?
Related, same island, curlier leaflets. Care is similar. Forsteriana is the common kentia in shops.
If you want an indoor palm that still looks like a tree in five years, kentia is the slow, correct answer. If you want cheap and fast, that is areca, and it will want more light.