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Popular palms
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The Kentia palms can be used to decorate your lawn or a courtyard garden
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THE GENUS Howea (Sentry palm) includes only two species, both of which have become popular houseplants. These slender, single stemmed palms are originally from Lord Howe Island, Australia. They are also known as Kentia palms.
The two species are alike in that they are single stemmed and have dark green, arching fronds cut almost to the mid-rib into many 2-5 cms wide and 30 cms long leaflets or pinnae. Another characteristic is their ability to thrive under what might seem to be difficult indoor conditions. Flowers and fruits are not produced indoors.
Howea forsterana (or thatch-leaf palm) is a slow-growing palm with a slender stem, ringed with old leaf scurs.
The leaflets are spaced about 2 cms apart on the extension of the long leaf stalks that form the rib of the fronds and they are held horizontally. The leaves comprise numerous narrowly, lance-shaped semi-lustrous leaflets with pendant tips. Howea belmoreana has a short stem, which thickens at the base as it ages. On top of the stem are short leaf stalks which are nearly erect. An extension leaf stalk bears erect leaflets, by forming trough giving the palm a graceful arching effect.
These palms grow up to 20-30 cms indoors, slow growing and need re-potting after three years. Grow young specimens as houseplants in medium or filtered Sunlight. They can be used as freestanding specimens on a lawn or in a courtyard garden. Outdoors, grow in fertile moist but well drained soil in full sun or dappled shade. Spray or wash the leaves once a week. Propagating by seeds but it takes about five years to produce a typical howea.
CHITRA RADHAKRISHNAN
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