The Kentia Palm: Tropical Paradise in the form of a Plant

The Kentia Palm: Tropical Paradise in the form of a Plant

The Kentia Palm: Tropical Paradise in the form of a Plant

When you’re searching for the perfect new plant for your home, there are a lot of things to consider that will help determine

Huge Kentia Palm for Sale set in living room
Huge Kentia Palm for Sale

the right choice for you. Things like ease of care, size, aesthetic appeal, and desired price point are all crucial in pinning down which kind of plant you should bring home with you. On that note, if you’re the kind of person who wants to jump headlong in and go all out on a huge, majestic plant that will make any room feel like a little slice of paradise, there’s not a better choice than the kentia palm.

What is a Kentia Palm?

The kentia palm, or Howea forsteriana, was originally native to Lord Howe Island, off the coast of Australia, and it was one of the first palms ever cultured for use as an indoor plant. It’s easy to see why, too. The kentia palm is one of the most durable and resilient plants in the palm family, making them easy to care for and easy to adapt to new environments. In their native habitat, these elegant palms easily grow to over 30 feet tall. However, their height in indoor planters is usually going to land somewhere between 3 and 6 feet, depending on where the plant was propagated (either Florida or Hawaii) and how large of a grow pot the plant is grown in.

While all house plants are beautiful in their own way, the kentia palm is different from most of our oxygen-producing friends in that it makes a statement and it makes that statement loud: “I don’t care whether I’m in south texas or the chilly northwest, this room is a tropical escape.” The fact is, the kentia palm doesn’t often go unnoticed. From its early adoption in tropical hotel resorts and classic films to today, where you can have one shipped directly to your doorstep from plantz.com, the kentia palm is a botanical icon of tropical style.

What about caring for it?

Well, like we said, the kentia palm is one of the most durable and resilient plants in the palm family. To be straight to the point about it, they’re nearly people-proof. Our kentia palms are adapted to the porous lava rock soil of Hawaii, meaning that their roots get plenty of breathing room and that over-watering these guys is much harder than over-watering most other house plants. On the flip side, using sub-irrigation allows the kentia to go for almost a month between waterings, letting you live worry-free if you happen to be away from your place a lot or if you’re just a little forgetful.

The kentia palm is just about as forgiving when it comes to light exposure as it is to watering. For your kentia to thrive, a moderate- to highly-lit environment is best to encourage faster, more robust growth. In the northern hemisphere, this ideally means nestling your palm into the light of an east-, a south-, or a west-facing window. But again, despite this, the kentia palm handles low-light conditions much better than other palms do. An underlit kentia palm may grow slower and become a little thinner, but despite that, it will remain majestic and steadfast for long stretches of time, even in the lowest light environments.

If you’re looking to make a big tropical statement with a big tropical plant that’s fun, loud, and easy to take care of, the kentia palm needs to be on your radar. You can check out the kentia palm on our web store here, or if you want to browse our other plants online, you can hop over to our main shop page. If you’re still unsure about what kind of plant might suit you best, or if you just have questions for our plant experts, contact us today!