Hawaiian Kentia Palm

Famous the world over for its elegance, the Kentia Palm is one of the most popular houseplants, but also, if you live in a warm enough place, a spectacular outdoor tree. Our specimens are suitable for both – you decide. The leaves are feather-shaped, and can be up to 7 feet long. They are also a striking rich green, giving the plant a rich, lush look. With numerous leaves rising up and arching over, even on younger plants, it is ideal for placing indoors, and the relative softness of the leaves and lack of spines makes it a ‘safe’ plant to have around children. Young plants are tolerant of lower light levels, are durable, and are survivors indoors, lasting well in less-than-perfect conditions. Able to handle several degrees of frost, this tree can also be grown outdoors, where in time it will rise to as much as 40 feet, with a slender, elegant gray trunk, decorated with the scars of old leaves. Its crown will be rounded, making a graceful ball of arching leaves. It is not as drought tolerant as some other palms, but is a good choice in Florida and other warm areas. Use it in pots in your home – perhaps with summer on a terrace or balcony – where it can be grown in relatively dark corners, although it will do best with good light levels. In the garden it could be planted on a lawn; in an arrangement with other tropical-looking plants; or grown in a large planter in a courtyard or urban garden.

• Elegant, feather-shaped leaves of bright green
• Will develop a tall trunk in time, especially if grown outdoors
• Free of spines and rough surfaces, so great in the home
• Grow indoors and place outside for the summer months
• Very durable and adaptable to a wide range of conditions

Although the Kentia Palm will do best in full sun, it will also grow in partial shade, and indoors tolerate relatively low light levels compared to most other palms. It will grow in most soils, from sands to clays, and acidic to alkaline soils, but not wet soils, especially if they are wet in winter. When growing indoors, water only when the top inch or two is dry, and keep watering in winter to a minimum. While plants indoors may be subject to different pest issues, if they can spend as much time as possible outdoors in warmer months, birds and insect predators will deal with most of those problems. Be sure to use a pot with a drainage hole, don’t leave your plant standing in a saucer of water, and repot only when the roots have completely filled the pot.