Kentia Palm Care: An Elegant Low Light Plant

If you have a room with lower light levels in your home and want an elegant plant to liven it up, then the Kentia Palm is the one for you.  It arches gracefully and fans out so it’s not for tight corners but if you have the room, you’ll love it.

In my interior plantscaping days, this palm was used quite commonly in offices and lobbies (if out of drafts and trafficked areas) so I maintained and specced my share of them. Not only are they pleasing to the eye, but also relatively easy to keep alive.

These palms, whose fancy botanic name is Howea forsteriana, are notoriously slow-growing and not cheap.  The only way to propagate them is by seed which adds to their cost.

These houseplants do fine in lower light levels but you really won’t get much growth.  So head’s up, you’ll need to buy 1 close to the height and width you want it to be.  They do better and will actually grow in medium light levels but even then, only put out 1 or 2 new fronds (leaves) a year.

Some Of Our General Houseplant Guides For Your Reference:

• Guide To Watering Indoor Plants
• Beginner’s Guide To Repotting Plants
• 3 Ways To Successfully Fertilize Indoor Plants
• How to Clean Houseplants
• Winter Houseplant Care Guide
• Plant Humidity: How I Increase Humidity For Houseplants
• Buying Houseplants: 14 Tips For Indoor Gardening Newbies
• 11 Pet-Friendly Houseplants

I’m in a grower’s greenhouse – let me show you the elegant Kentia Palm:

Here are a few tips on maintaining the Kentia Palm!

Exposure

Low to medium light. No direct, hot sun.

Watering

Average. Water thoroughly every 9-14 days.

Pests

Can be subject to spider mites & mealybugs.

Big Advantage

A gorgeous houseplant all the way around.

Disadvantage

It’s not easy on the wallet, especially the more mature specimens.

Oh, don’t forget to clean the leaves off every now and then. An occasional misting would be of benefit too.  That way, your Kentia Palm will love you!

They grow outdoors here in Southern California, Florida and Hawaii and have a reputation for being extremely durable.  Most of you know them as a houseplant though, and they are just as durable indoors too.

Here’s 1 in the tropical garden at Seaside Gardens in neighboring Carpinteria

The Dracaena Janet Craig (now known a Dracaena Lisa) is another floor plant for lower light levels.

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Nell Foster

Nell, the founder of Joy Us garden, was born into a gardening family and grew up in Connecticut’s countryside. After living in Boston, New York, San Francisco, & Santa Barbara, she now calls the Arizona desert home. She studied horticulture & garden design, working in the field all her life. Nell is a gardener, designer, blogger, Youtube creator, & author. She’s been gardening for a very long time & wants to share what she’s learned with you.

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