Plant Care Kentia Palm

Kentia Palm

4.5 out of 5 (79 experiences)

Kentia Palm has a Survivor plant personality Survivor
Kentia Palm has a Large, lush leaves plant personality Large, lush leaves

About Kentia Palm

The Kentia Palm is a popular houseplant in temperate climates. They are well suited to containers and have a track record for surviving low light, dust, central heating, rough handling, drought, and neglect. Due to their large size, they make a good focal point in an interior or exterior landscape.

Taxonomy

Howea forsteriana
Howea
Arecaceae
Arecales

How to care for Kentia Palm

💦 Water

How often to water your Kentia Palm

Water needs for Kentia Palm
0.5 cups
every 9

Kentia Palm needs 0.5 cups of water every 9 when it doesn’t get direct sunlight and is potted in a 5" pot.

Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.

Calculate water needs of Kentia Palm

Water 0.5 cups every
9

Does your plant get direct sunlight?

Select the pot size

5"
☀️ Light

Finding light for Kentia Palm in your home

Light needs and placement for plant Kentia Palm: 3ft from a window
3ft or less from
a window

Kentia Palm may have difficulty thriving, and will drop leaves 🍃, without ample sunlight.

Place it less than 3 feet from a south-facing window to maximize the potential for growth.

Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement of Kentia Palm in your home 🏡.

🪴 Nutrients

How to fertilize Kentia Palm

Nutrient, fertilizer, and repotting needs for Kentia Palm: repot after 2X growth

Most potting soils come with ample nutrients which plants use to produce new growth.

By the time your plant has depleted the nutrients in its soil it’s likely grown enough to need a larger pot anyway.

To replenish this plant's nutrients, repot your Kentia Palm after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.

Browse #KentiaPalm
💡 FAQs
⭐ Difficulty Level

Kentia Palm is generally easy to care for, though some plant parents report facing challenges with growing it. Check out the reviews down below to read more about their experiences!

Benefits of Growing Kentia Palm →

Common Kentia Palm Problems →


💦 Water Needs

Kentia Palm prefers for the soil to dry out between waterings and should be watered regularly. Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.

Kentia Palm Water Frequency →

Kentia Palm Root Rot →


☀️ Sunlight Needs

Kentia Palm may have difficulty thriving and will drop leaves 🍃 without ample sunlight. Place it less than 3 feet from a window to maximize the potential for growth. Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement in your home 🏡.

Kentia Palm Light Requirements →

Kentia Palm Direct Sunlight Needs & Tolerance →


🐶 🐈 👶 Toxicity

Kentia Palm is not known to cause harm to humans or pets. Regardless, if you, a family member, a cat, or dog has ingested any plant material, please consult a doctor or a veterinarian.

Kentia Palm Toxicity to Humans →


💨 Humidity

Kentia Palm doesn’t require additional humidity. Plants absorb most water through their root system rather than their leaves, so the best way to provide humidity for your plants is through watering the soil.

Kentia Palm Humidity Needs →


🪴 Soil

Kentia Palm does best in well-draining soil. A good soil will contain lots of organic matter such as coco coir as well as perlite or vermiculite to help with drainage. Adding a handful of perlite to regular store-bought potting soil should do the trick!

When and How to Successfully Repot Kentia Palm →


💩 Fertilizer

Kentia Palm grows very slowly and doesn’t require added fertilizer. Replacing your plant’s potting soil once a year should provide them with more than enough nutrition. Remember, plants get their energy from sunlight, not fertilizer!

How Much and When to Fertilize Kentia Palm →


🌎 Native Region

Kentia Palm is native to Lord Howe Island, Australia.


🌸 Flowers

Yes, you may see your Kentia Palm bloom with the right amount of sunlight and water.


⬆️ ⬇️ Growth Pattern

Kentia Palm grows vertically and new growth will emerge from the top of the plant.

How and When to Prune Kentia Palm →


🌦️ Growing Outdoors

USDA Hardiness Zone
Kentia Palm can be grown outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 9a-11b. Find your local hardiness zone here.

Kentia Palm Temperature Tolerance →


🌱 Propagation

Kentia Palm can be propagated by division into new individual plants.

  • Check to see if there is more than one plant. In some cases they may still be beneath the soil surface. If you feel confident, you may remove the soil to check for baby plantlets below!
  • If there are multiple plants growing, unpot the plant and gently tug the plants apart, being careful not to disturb too many of the roots. They may be connected by large root segments which you may need to break to free the plantlet.
  • Pot up the new plant in well-draining soil
  • Repot the parent plant back into its original pot

🍂 Yellow Leaves

Yellow leaves aren’t always a reason to panic, and can be a normal part of a plant’s life cycle. Unless brand new leaves are turning yellow or all the leaves change color at once, it’s likely just your plant shedding old leaves.

Overwatering and root rot are the most likely cause of problems in Kentia Palm, since they are sensitive to wet soil. The leaves may also appear to be curling or drooping. Less often, yellow leaves are caused by underwatering, nutrient deficiencies, or pests.

Replace soggy soil with fresh, dry soil and download Greg to make sure your plant never gets overwatered again!


🧐 Troubleshooting

When troubleshooting a sad-looking houseplant, start by checking for signs of distress in its leaves, such as yellowing, browning, or drooping, which can indicate overwatering or nutrient deficiencies.

Inspect the soil moisture; too dry or too wet soil can cause problems.

Ensure the plant is getting the right amount of light, as too much or too little can stress it.

Finally, consider environmental factors like temperature and humidity, and adjust care routines accordingly to revive your plant.


Care Summary for Kentia Palm

Kentia Palm

Kentia Palm


Greg recommends:

Water

0.5 cups every 9 days

Placement

< 3ft from a window

Nutrients

Repot after 2x growth

Based on the 4” pot your plant is in, and that it doesn’t get direct sunlight.

What other plant parents say

Kentia Palm has a Survivor plant personality Survivor 43
Kentia Palm has a Large, lush leaves plant personality Large, lush leaves 42
Kentia Palm has a Fast grower plant personality Fast grower 20
Kentia Palm has a Browns easily plant personality Browns easily 19
Kentia Palm has a Easy to propagate plant personality Easy to propagate 6
Kentia Palm has a Pest magnet plant personality Pest magnet 2
Kentia Palm has a Blooms easily plant personality Blooms easily 1
@Yvette avatar
@@Yvette
leaf-1 36 Plants
xp 3,418 XP
globe Crowborough, England
02/24/2022

Great plant to have to bring a jungle vibe into your home. Easy enough to care for.

Large, lush leaves Large, lush leaves
Survivor Survivor
@KTplantmama avatar
@@KTplantmama
leaf-1 20 Plants
xp 1,636 XP
globe River Forest, IL
02/09/2022

I’ve had this plant a few months and it’s not thriving. Don’t know if it’s light, water or humidity. Maybe all three.

Browns easily Browns easily
Paula avatar
@Paula
leaf-1 13 Plants
xp 613 XP
globe Bedmond, England
01/13/2022

Beautiful and resilient.

Survivor Survivor
@TomT avatar
@@TomT
leaf-1 2 Plants
xp 415 XP
globe Enfield, England
11/10/2021

Beautiful looking plant. Brings the outdoors indoors with it jungle feel 😄

Large, lush leaves Large, lush leaves
Survivor Survivor
@Paigesimpson3 avatar
@@Paigesimpson3
leaf-1 5 Plants
xp 119 XP
10/29/2021

Low maintenance and beautiful strong plant

Large, lush leaves Large, lush leaves
Katya avatar
@Katya
leaf-1 3 Plants
xp 335 XP
globe Richmond Hill, Ontario
10/26/2021

Looks beautiful

@Nikki1 avatar
@@Nikki1
leaf-1 62 Plants
xp 2,531 XP
globe Woolwich Township, NJ
09/08/2021

Beautiful Palm Tree and very carefree

Large, lush leaves Large, lush leaves
Easy to propagate Easy to propagate
Survivor Survivor
Ayesha avatar
@Ayesha
leaf-1 1 Plants
xp 46 XP
globe Bradford, England
09/01/2021

This makes your home look so fresh and homely, it brings a little bit of exotic to your home as palm trees are associated with the beach… which means relaxation, and a feel of luxury.

Large, lush leaves Large, lush leaves
Survivor Survivor
Charlane avatar
@Charlane
leaf-1 20 Plants
xp 221 XP
globe Abbeville, LA
08/26/2021

I e wanted a Palm for soo long.. my sweet grandson gave this to me along with two dwarf palms.. in love with this plant

Large, lush leaves Large, lush leaves
Fast grower Fast grower
@alexcollectsplants avatar
@@alexcollectsplants
leaf-1 53 Plants
xp 2,322 XP
08/07/2021

I love this plant, first one we got when moving into our new house and it’s great for filling up spaces. I find mine nears regular watering every though it doesn’t get direct sunlight but I just give it a cup every couple of days and trim off brown bits when need be.

Large, lush leaves Large, lush leaves
Survivor Survivor
@Stephanie0993 avatar
@@Stephanie0993
leaf-1 3 Plants
xp 238 XP
08/02/2021

My favourite!

Large, lush leaves Large, lush leaves
Survivor Survivor
Browns easily Browns easily
@alexandria.lw avatar
@@alexandria.lw
leaf-1 18 Plants
xp 275 XP
globe Davis, CA
07/29/2021

Harder to keep than I thought- very finicky about water- but absolutely beautiful.

Large, lush leaves Large, lush leaves
Martha avatar
@Martha
leaf-1 4 Plants
xp 215 XP
globe Manchester, England
07/29/2021

Not the largest leaves but again adds a tropical vibe to the room and I think it looks cool and a bit funky when paired with other types of plants

Large, lush leaves Large, lush leaves
Easy to propagate Easy to propagate
Survivor Survivor
@IAmBrandiPerry avatar
@@IAmBrandiPerry
leaf-1 18 Plants
xp 569 XP
globe Akron, OH
07/15/2021

I’m a new plant mommy : This Palm is beautiful and sprouts out new growth rather quickly. Placement near sunlight is important ❤️. Happy Growing

Large, lush leaves Large, lush leaves
Fast grower Fast grower
Survivor Survivor
@cincity avatar
@@cincity
leaf-1 2 Plants
xp 54 XP
07/08/2021

easy to overwater and underwater. browns very easily. but somehow- still kickin.

Browns easily Browns easily
Survivor Survivor
Stuart avatar
@Stuart
leaf-1 3 Plants
xp 51 XP
06/16/2021

Fast grower but don’t let it completely dry out.

Fast grower Fast grower
@KikiGoldblatt avatar
@@KikiGoldblatt
leaf-1 14 Plants
xp 124,312 XP
globe Oliver Springs, TN
06/15/2021

This my favorite plant of all my plants I have. She is beautiful.

Large, lush leaves Large, lush leaves
Fast grower Fast grower
Survivor Survivor
@_holaholapaola avatar
@@_holaholapaola
leaf-1 41 Plants
xp 5,040 XP
globe Minneapolis, MN
06/14/2021

This Kentia plant started to die on me, it seems I may not have given it enough sunlight and/or I gave it too much water. Since I installed this app, I began a better routing for all my plants and this one seems to be way happier. Just updated the photo 6/14/2021.

Survivor Survivor
@chw avatar
@@chw
leaf-1 14 Plants
xp 1,081 XP
globe San Francisco, CA
03/17/2021

Loves sun. Needs a big footprint.

Survivor Survivor
Fast grower Fast grower
@ariel avatar
@@ariel
leaf-1 16 Plants
xp 569 XP
03/13/2021

It browns easily, but i think that’s due to the pot i have it in!

Browns easily Browns easily
Large, lush leaves Large, lush leaves
Fast grower Fast grower

Trending in your area

Similar to Kentia Palm

Discover rare plants