- Kentia palm: origin and properties
- Planting the Kentia palm: location and requirements
- Kentia palm care
- Propagation of the Kentia Palm: Offshoots, Seeds and Co.
- Wintering: Is the Kentia palm hardy?
- Is the Kentia palm poisonous?
Help the development of the site, sharing the article with friends!
The easy-care Kentia palm is very popular as an exotic houseplant. We reveal how to properly plant and care for the Kentia palm.
The Kentia palm (Howea) captivates with lots of green and offers a visual eye-catcher in the office or at home. Not only is she refreshing to look at, she is also said to be one of the best air-purifying plants. What should be considered when caring for the Kentia palm and how to propagate the Kentia is explained below.
Kentia palm: origin and properties
The Kentia palm is also called the paradise palm and is basically a real rarity. It originally comes from a small island off Australia. Only there does this genus occur in nature. Today, however, it enjoys great popularity as an ornamental plant worldwide and can be found in homes and offices. By filtering pollutants and increasing the humidity, the Kentia palm is said to purify the air in the home. The Howea is also a very slow-growing indoor plant, but it spreads a lot. But how big does the Kentia palm get? In nature, the Kentia palm reaches a size of up to 17 meters, while as a houseplant it grows to a maximum of three meters tall and up to 1.5 meters wide. With proper care, it grows about 20 centimeters per year.
The Kentia palm is actually only native to the approximately 15 square kilometer Lord Howe Island. Over the millennia, the genus has produced only two species that occur there together. The Forster's Kentia palm (Howea forsteriana) comes from the coastal area. The further you climb, the more Howea belmoreana blends into the forest. Both species occur at altitudes of up to 450 meters above sea level. In the summer months they form light green flowers in panicles, which are rarely found on the Kentia palm as a houseplant.
Kentia palm or golden fruit palm:
Whether it is abouta kentia palm or golden fruit palm can be recognized by a close look at the leaves. The leaves of the Kentia palm are imparipinnate, which means that a single leaf sits at the end of the many opposite pairs of leaves: the terminal leaflets. This is missing in the paired pinnate leaves of the gold fruit palm. Here, however, you can find black and yellow dots on the rachis, also called leaf spindle, which the Kentia palm does not have.
Although there are some differences in substrate and water requirements, both palms are considered very easy houseplants.
Planting the Kentia palm: location and requirements
In order to give the Kentia palm a location where it feels comfortable, you can use its natural habitat, the subtropical forests, as a guide. It is therefore best for temperatures to remain above 15 °C all year round, in summer they should be around 20 °C. In warm temperatures, the Kentia palm can also stand outside, but not in the blazing sun - Howea forsteriana likes a bright, semi-shady location. This also applies to the space in the apartment. The more shady the location, the fewer leaves are formed. In addition, high humidity is necessary for the Kentia palm to feel comfortable.
The substrate should be well drained and slightly acidic. It is best to mix potting soil - for example the peat-free Plantura organic universal soil - with sand in a ratio of 1:1 for improved water permeability. The same applies to Howea belmoreana. Under the substrate you should create a drainage layer - for example made of expanded clay. It is also possible to grow the Kentia palm hydroponically in expanded clay. With hydroponics, overwatering is almost impossible and it can even be watered ahead of time.
Tip: Keeping hydroponics also automatically increases the humidity in the area.
Kentia palm care
Caring for the Kentia Palm is not that difficult. If you stick to a few measures when caring for your Kentia palm, the plant can even live up to 50 years.
Water properly
On a subtropical island surrounded by sea, the air is expected to be fairly humid. So the Kentia palm is actually the optimal plant for a lightBathroom. Alternatively, you can of course simply spray your plant with low-lime water from time to time - this also helps to prevent dust on the leaves. You should 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 has dried well on top. In winter you can reduce the amount of water a little. However, the roots should not dry out. Waterlogging is also not tolerated by the Kentia palm, which is why you should remove any water that has collected in the saucer after watering.
Fertilize Kentia Palm
During the growth phase, the Kentia palm needs fertilizer so that it can continue to grow he althily. You should therefore add some liquid fertilizer to the irrigation water every four weeks during the spring and summer months. If you want to use a biological fertiliser, you can use our Plantura organic indoor & green plant fertiliser , which has a high organic content and provides nutrients in the right ratio for green plants.
Pruning Kentia Palm
It is not necessary to cut back the Kentia palm. You can only remove brown leaf tips or dying leaves, brown leaves can be cut off at the base near the trunk. If only the tips of the leaves are brown, you should never cut into the green area of the leaf, as the browning will then continue. Rather 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 the palm tree back in the middle, as this is where the new leaves are formed. At most, remove the lower leaves right at the base. You can also remove a few side roots when repotting to stem growth.
Diseases and pests on the Kentia palm
The pretty plant is easy to care for, but it can still happen that pests or diseases spread on the Kentia palm. It is normal for the older, lower leaves to wilt over time. However, if more and more leaves are discolouring, there is a need for action.
- Brown leaf spots: The Kentia palm is probably too cold. Then move the plants to a warmer spot. Too much sunlight can also lead to leaf spots.
- Brown Leaves: Get the Kentia Palmbrown leaves, waterlogging is often the cause. Then you should urgently repot and water less.
- Dried Leaves: If the kentia palm has dry leaves, you should pay attention to whether the dried leaves are brown or green. Waterlogging is probably also the cause of brown leaves, dry green leaves are caused by drought.
- Brown leaf tips: If the leaves of the Kentia palm have brown tips, the humidity usually needs to be increased. Spray the palm tree regularly with water or place a bowl of water on the heater.
- Yellow leaves: If the Kentia palm has yellow leaves, it is usually a pest infestation. Spider mites or scale insects mainly appear in dry air. Douche the plant with water and increase the humidity. The leaves can also turn yellow in the absence of light.
- Sticky Traces: Thrips and mealybugs leave white spots or a sticky film on the Kentia palm. Again, the pests should be washed off immediately.
At a glance: How do I care for a Kentia palm?
- Water regularly but moderately with lime-free water
- Increase humidity with water bowls or spray bottle
- Dust the leaves from time to time
- Fertilize every four weeks in summer
- Check for pest infestation if necessary
Propagation of the Kentia Palm: Offshoots, Seeds and Co.
Propagating the Kentia palm is unfortunately not as easy as with many other indoor and garden plants. Because new leaves only grow out of the top of the trunk, there are no Kentia palm cuttings to use for propagation. For the same reason, it is also not possible to split a Kentia palm. Propagation only works via seeds. Getting your own palm tree to sprout is rather difficult. The palm grows very slowly and takes a long time to reach fertile age. Even then, it is unlikely that the Kentia palm will develop flowers. In order to grow young Kentia palms from seeds, you should therefore purchase seeds from stores. This must be fresh, as the ability to germinate is quickly lost. But beware: Success is not certain and takes a lot of time.
Instructions - growing Kentia palm from seed:
- Freshness and vitalityBuy seeds in stores
- Soak the seeds in lukewarm water overnight
- Fill the planter with coconut fibers or potting soil
- Moisten the 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 container with cling film and air regularly
- Germination after about three months
Wintering: Is the Kentia palm hardy?
In winter, the Kentia palm is in a dormant phase. It should then still be in a bright position, but it gets water less often and no fertilizer. Water only enough so that the root ball and substrate do not dry out completely. The temperature should not fall below 15 °C. Since the Kentia palm does not tolerate the dry heating air very well, you should pay particular attention to high humidity and use a spray bottle regularly.
Is the Kentia palm poisonous?
Again and again the question arises whether the beautiful Kentia palm is poisonous to cats, dogs or humans. However, we can reassure you: the Kentia palm is not poisonous to humans or pets. The plant does not contain any toxins, so the Kentia palm and cat can safely be kept in the apartment together.
If you're more specific about non-toxic houseplants, check out this article for more information.