Kentia Palm
Howea Care Guide
The Kentia Palm has been a houseplant favourite for well over a century, and it is not difficult to see why. Howea forsteriana has the elegant, arching fronds you would expect from a palm, but it is considerably more forgiving of indoor conditions than many of its tropical relatives.
Native to Lord Howe Island, a small island in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, Kentia Palms naturally grow beneath taller vegetation where they receive filtered light rather than hours of direct sun. Those origins explain a lot about how they behave as houseplants. A Kentia does not need a sun-drenched conservatory, constant watering or tropical levels of humidity to be happy. In fact, giving it too much of any of these things can cause more problems than doing slightly too little.
Here is everything you need to know about growing a Kentia Palm in a UK home, from light and watering to repotting, feeding and dealing with brown tips.
How much light does a Kentia Palm need?
Kentia Palms prefer bright, indirect light, but they are unusually tolerant of lower light compared with many other palms.
An east-facing window is a good position, while a few feet back from a south or west-facing window will usually provide enough light without exposing the fronds to intense midday sun. They can also cope with a north-facing room, although growth will be slower.
A little gentle direct morning sunlight is unlikely to cause problems, but be more cautious with strong afternoon sun through glass. Prolonged exposure can scorch the fronds, particularly during summer.
Signs your Kentia Palm is getting too much light
Bleached or faded patches on the fronds, particularly where the sun hits them most strongly, can indicate sun scorch. Crispy brown areas that appear quite suddenly are another clue.
Try moving the palm further away from the window or filtering the light with a sheer curtain.
Signs your Kentia Palm needs more light
Kentias are naturally slow-growing, so slow growth on its own is not necessarily a problem.
However, if the plant is producing very little new growth and the existing fronds are becoming increasingly sparse or stretching towards the nearest window, it may benefit from more light.
Rotating the pot every few weeks can help the plant grow more evenly rather than leaning towards one side.
How often should you water a Kentia Palm?
Kentia Palms prefer their compost to dry out slightly between waterings. Before reaching for the watering can, check the top few centimetres of compost with your finger.
If it feels dry, water thoroughly until excess water starts to drain from the bottom of the pot. Allow it to drain fully before putting it back into a decorative cover pot or saucer.
There is no universal watering schedule for a Kentia because the compost will dry at different rates depending on the size of the plant, the pot, temperature, light and time of year. A plant in a warm, bright room may need watering every week or two during summer, while the same plant could go several weeks between waterings in winter.
The important part is to check the compost rather than watering simply because it is a particular day of the week.
Can you overwater a Kentia Palm?
Yes, and it is one of the easiest ways to run into trouble.
If the compost remains wet for long periods, the roots can become deprived of oxygen and eventually begin to rot. Yellowing fronds, a persistently wet pot and a sour smell from the compost can all be warning signs.
If you suspect root rot, remove the plant from its pot and inspect the roots. Healthy roots should be firm rather than soft or slimy. Remove any clearly rotten roots and repot the plant into fresh, free-draining compost.
What does an underwatered Kentia Palm look like?
Brown, crispy leaf tips are one of the most common signs of watering problems, although they can have several causes. Severely underwatered Kentias may also develop drooping, papery fronds.
A missed watering is usually much easier for the plant to recover from than consistently waterlogged compost, but avoid allowing the entire rootball to become bone dry for prolonged periods.
Does a Kentia Palm need high humidity?
One of the reasons Kentia Palms work so well in UK homes is that they cope with ordinary indoor humidity better than many tropical houseplants. They will appreciate higher humidity, especially during winter when central heating dries the air, but you do not need to recreate a rainforest in your living room.
If your home is particularly dry, grouping plants together or running a humidifier nearby can help. A pebble tray beneath the pot can also provide a small increase in local humidity.
We do not recommend relying on misting. Spraying the fronds may make them wet for a short time, but it does little to raise the humidity around the plant for any meaningful length of time. Repeated misting with hard tap water can also leave mineral marks on the leaves.
What temperature does a Kentia Palm need?
Normal indoor temperatures are usually ideal. Aim to keep your Kentia somewhere around 16 to 24°C and avoid placing it directly beside a radiator or heater. Cold draughts and sudden temperature changes can also damage the foliage, so avoid positioning it against a cold window or beside an exterior door during winter.
Kentias are considerably more tolerant of ordinary household conditions than many people assume, but they are still tropical plants and should be protected from prolonged cold.
When should you repot a Kentia Palm?
Kentia Palms are slow growers and do not need frequent repotting. Every two to three years is a reasonable starting point, but let the plant itself tell you when it needs more space.
Roots emerging from the drainage holes, a very tightly packed rootball or compost that dries unusually quickly can all indicate that the plant is becoming rootbound.
When you repot, move up by only one pot size. Kentias are quite happy being slightly snug in their pots, and giving them a huge container can make watering more difficult because the compost takes much longer to dry.
Spring is a good time to repot because the plant is moving into its active growing season.
Take particular care when handling the roots. Kentia Palms have relatively delicate roots, so avoid aggressively teasing apart the rootball or removing large amounts of healthy root.
If your palm is already in a large pot and does not need a larger container, you can refresh the top layer of compost instead. Carefully remove the upper few centimetres and replace it with fresh mix.
How often should you feed a Kentia Palm?
Kentia Palms are not particularly heavy feeders.
During the growing season, roughly April to September in the UK, feed once a month with a balanced liquid houseplant fertiliser diluted according to the manufacturer's instructions. You can reduce or stop feeding through autumn and winter when growth naturally slows.
More fertiliser does not mean more growth. Overfeeding can cause a build-up of mineral salts in the compost and contribute to brown leaf tips.
If you notice a white, crusty residue developing on the surface of the compost, flush the pot thoroughly with fresh water and allow it to drain.
How do you clean Kentia Palm leaves?
Large palm fronds are excellent at collecting dust, particularly in homes with central heating.
Every few months, gently wipe the leaves with a clean, damp cloth. Support the underside of the frond with your other hand as you do so to avoid putting unnecessary pressure on the leaf.
There is no need for leaf-shine products. Clean water and a little patience will do the job.
Common Kentia Palm problems
Brown tips
Brown tips are probably the most common complaint we hear about Kentia Palms.
They can be caused by inconsistent watering, very dry indoor air, mineral build-up, over-fertilising or a combination of these factors. Before simply trimming the leaves, look at the conditions around the plant.
If the compost is regularly becoming completely dry, adjust your watering routine. If the plant is sitting beside a radiator, move it somewhere less dry and hot. If you have very hard tap water, occasionally flushing the compost can help reduce mineral build-up.
You can trim brown tips with clean scissors, following the natural shape of the frond. Just remember that this is cosmetic. It will not prevent new browning if the underlying problem remains.
Yellowing lower fronds
An occasional yellow lower frond is usually nothing to worry about. Older foliage eventually reaches the end of its life and the plant redirects its resources towards newer growth.
If several fronds are yellowing at the same time, particularly when the compost is staying wet, investigate the roots and watering conditions.
Spider mites
Spider mites are particularly fond of warm, dry conditions and can occasionally become a problem on indoor palms.
Look for fine pale speckling across the leaves, particularly on the undersides, as well as fine webbing around leaf joints in a more established infestation.
Move the affected plant away from others while you treat it and inspect nearby plants too. Wiping the foliage and using an appropriate insecticidal treatment can help bring an early infestation under control.
You can find our available pest and fungal control products here.
Scale
Scale insects look like small brown or tan bumps attached to the leaves, petioles or stems. Unlike many pests, adult scale insects remain largely stationary, which can make them easy to mistake for part of the plant.
For a small infestation, carefully remove individual insects with a fingernail or cotton bud before following up with an appropriate treatment. Keep checking the plant over the following weeks, as newly hatched insects can be much harder to spot.
