The Kentia palm or Thatch palm (Howea forsteriana) is endemic to Lord Howe Island. It is also widely grown on Norfolk Island. Its "fronds" or leaves grow up to 3 meters long.
The Kentia palm is an elegant plant, and is popular for growing indoors, requiring little light. Out of doors, it prefers a tropical region but will also grow in a cooler climate, and can tolerate temperatures down to -5° Celsius, but only for a few hours; normal temperatures should not go below 10°. It can be grown outside in areas such as the south of Spain and the southernmost parts of the USA and AdelaideAustralia, and will bear flowers and fruit. It is slow growing, but will eventually reach heights of 6 to 18 metres. Under natural conditions, it grows as a solitary tree. Germination of the seeds is erratic.
The closely related Belmore sentry palm (Howea belmoreana), also endemic on Lord Howe Island, is a smaller species to 7 metres tall, found mainly as an understorey plant in moist forests.
HISTORY: The Kentia palm (Howea forsteriana) is one of the most beautiful palms in the world, and is suitable for growing either indoors or outdoors.
These whalers, already replenishing their water supplies on the Island, formed the basis of a small but flourishing clientele and thus the population slowly grew to take advantage of the new enterprise.
Seeds of Howea forsteriana were first collected in 1870 by eminent Victorian botanist Baron Ferdinand von Mueller who mistakenly placed the new species in the genus Kentia, a name which has stuck as a common name throughout the years.
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