Kentia palm: care, location & propagation

The easy-care Kentia palm is very popular as an exotic houseplant. We reveal how to properly plant and care for the Kentia palm.

With lots of greenery, the Kentia palm (Howea) is captivating and is visually eye-catching in the office or at home. However, it is not just visually appealing but is also said to be one of the best air purifying plants. Learn below what should be considered when caring for the Kentia palm and how to propagate it.

Kentia palm: origin and properties

Kentia palm is basically a real rarity. In fact, it originates from a small island off Australia. Only there does this genus occur in nature. Today, however, it enjoys worldwide popularity as an ornamental plant and can be found in homes and offices. By filtering pollutants and increasing humidity, the palm supposedly purifies the air in the home. The Howea is also a very slow-growing houseplant, but is strong in width. But how big does the plant grow? In nature, the Kentia palm reaches a size of up to 17 metres, while as a houseplant it grows to a maximum of three metres tall and up to 1.5 metres wide. With proper care, it grows about 20 centimetres per year.

The Kentia palm is actually only naturally native to Lord Howe Island, which is about 15 square kilometres in size. Over the millennia, the genus has produced only two species that are found together there. Howea forsteriana is native to coastal areas. The further up you go, the more Howea belmoreana blends into the forest. Both species are found at altitudes up to 450 metres above sea level. There they form light green panicle flowers in the summer months, but these are rarely found on the Kentia palm as a houseplant.

Kentia palm or areca palm:

Whether it is a Kentia palm or areca palm can be determined by looking closely at the leaves. The leaves of the Kentia palm are pinnate, meaning that a single leaf sits at the end of the many opposite pairs of leaves: the terminal pinna. This is absent in the paired pinnate leaves of the golden fruit palm. However, here you can find black and yellow dots on the rhachis, also called leaf spindle, which the Kentia palm does not have.

Although there are some differences in care in terms of substrate and water requirements, both palms are considered very low maintenance houseplants.

Planting Kentia palms: location and requirements

To give the Kentia palm a location where it feels comfortable, you can use its natural habitat of subtropical forests as a guide. Therefore, it is best to keep the temperatures above 15 °C all year round, and in summer it is better to keep them at around 20 °C. In warm temperatures, the palm can also be placed outside, but not in full sun – Howea forsteriana prefers a bright, semi-shaded location. This also applies to its location in the apartment. The shadier the location, the less leaves are formed. Also, high humidity is necessary for the Kentia palm to feel comfortable.

The substrate should be slightly acidic and well-drained. It is best to mix plant soil – for example, peat-free Plantura Organic All Purpose Compost – with sand in a 1:1 ratio for improved water permeability. The same is true for Howea belmoreana. Under the substrate, you should create a drainage layer – for example, expanded clay. It is also possible to keep the Kentia palm in hydroponics in expanded clay. With hydroponics, overwatering is almost impossible and it can even be watered in advance.

Tip: By keeping them in hydroponics, the humidity in the immediate vicinity is automatically increased somewhat.

Kentia palm care

Caring for the plant is not too difficult. If you stick to a few measures when caring for your Kentia palm, the plant can even easily live for up to 50 years.

Watering

On a subtropical island surrounded by sea, the air is expectedly quite humid. So this actually makes the Kentia palm the optimal plant for a bright bathroom. Alternatively, of course, you can simply spray your plant with low-lime water from time to time – this will also help with dust on the leaves. Therefore, it is best to use low-lime water or rainwater for watering. The water requirement of the plant is rather moderate. Therefore, water regularly but only when the substrate is well dried at the top. In winter, you can slightly reduce the amount of watering. However, the roots should not dry out. Stagnant water is also not tolerated by the Kentia palm, so you should remove water collected in the saucer after watering.

Fertilising Kentia palm

During the growth phase, the Kentia palm needs fertiliser to continue to grow healthily. Over the spring and summer months, you should therefore add a little liquid fertiliser when watering every four weeks. Our Plantura Liquid Houseplant Food is ideal, which provides nutrients in the appropriate ratio for green plants.

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Pruning Kentia palms

Pruning the Kentia palm is not necessary. Only remove brown leaf tips or dying leaves; brown leaves can be cut off at the base near the stem. If only the tips of the leaves are brown, do not under any circumstances cut into the green area of the leaf, as the brown colouration will then continue. Instead, leave a small brown fringe on the leaf. It can also happen that the Kentia palm becomes too wide. In this case, it is important that you never cut back the palm in the middle because this is where the new leaves are formed. At most, remove the lower leaves directly at the base. To curb growth, you can also remove a few side roots when repotting.

Kentia palm diseases and pests

The pretty plant is easy to care for but pests or diseases can still spread on the Kentia palm. It is quite normal for the older, lower leaves to wither over time. However, if more and more leaves are becoming discoloured, then it is time to take action.

• Brown leaf spots: it is probably too cold for the Kentia palm. Place the plants in a warmer location. Excessive exposure to sunlight can also cause leaf spots.
• Brown leaves: if the plant gets brown leaves, waterlogging is often the cause. It should be repotted without delay and watered less.
• Dried leaves: if the Kentia palm has dry leaves, you should pay attention to whether the dried leaves are brown or green. Brown leaves are also likely to be caused by waterlogging, dried green leaves are caused by drought.
• Brown leaf tips: if the leaves of the palm show brown tips, usually the humidity needs to be increased. Periodically spray the palm with water or place a water bowl on the heater.
• Yellow leaves: if the Kentia palm shows yellow leaves, there is usually a pest infestation. Spider mites or scale lice occur mainly in dry air. Shower the plant with water and increase the humidity. Also, in the absence of light, the leaves may turn yellow.
• Sticky marks: thrips and mealy bugs leave white spots or even a sticky film on the Kentia palm. Again, the pests should be washed off immediately.

Summary: How do I care for a Kentia palm?

• Water regularly but moderately with lime-free water
• Increase humidity with water bowls or a spray bottle
• Dust leaves from time to time
• Fertilise every four weeks in summer
• Inspect for pest infestation if necessary

Kentia palm propagation

Unfortunately, propagation of the Kentia palm is not as easy as with many other indoor and garden plants. Since new leaves only grow out of the top of the trunk, there are no offshoots to use for propagation. For the same reason, it is not possible to divide the plant. Propagation works only by seeds. Getting your own palm tree to seed proves rather difficult. The palm tree grows very slowly and takes a long time to reach fertile age. Even then, it is rather unlikely that the Kentia palm will develop flowers. So, to grow young Kentia palms from seed you should buy seeds in stores. These must be fresh because the germination capacity is lost quickly. But beware: success is not certain and requires a lot of time.

Instructions: Growing Kentia palm from seed

• Purchase fresh and vital seeds from a shop
• Presoak seeds overnight in lukewarm water
• Fill planter with coconut fibre or growing soil
• Moisten substrate with a spray bottle
• Press seeds about 2 cm deep into the substrate
• Keep the planter moist and warm at about 25 °C until germination
• Cover the vessel with cling film and ventilate regularly
• Germination after about three months

Overwintering: is the Kentia palm hardy?

In winter, the Kentia palm enters a dormant phase. It should then still be placed in a bright location but watered less often and no fertiliser. Water only enough so that the root ball and substrate do not dry out completely. The temperature must not fall below 15 °C. Since dry heating air is not so well tolerated by the Kentia palm, you should pay particular attention to high humidity and regularly use a spray bottle.

Is the Kentia palm poisonous?

Tme and again the question arises of whether the beautiful Kentia palm is poisonous for cats, dogs and humans. However, we can reassure you that the plant is neither poisonous for humans nor pets. The plant does not contain any toxins, so a Kentia palm and cat can be safely kept together in an apartment.

If you are interested in non-toxic houseplants in more detail, you can find more information in this article.