{"id":6147,"date":"2026-10-06T19:24:10","date_gmt":"2026-10-06T19:24:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ornacom.com\/?page_id=6147"},"modified":"2026-10-06T19:24:10","modified_gmt":"2026-10-06T19:24:10","slug":"howea-forsteriana","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ornacom.com\/en\/catalog\/palms\/howea-forsteriana\/","title":{"rendered":"Howea forsteriana"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Howea forsteriana<\/h1><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Features and care<\/h2><\/h2><\/div>
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The Howea forsteriana<\/b>, known as kentia palm, sentry palm, or Forster’s palm, is an elegant and slender palm of great ornamental value, native to Lord Howe Island, Australia. It forms a single, smooth, erect, and subtly ringed trunk, dark green in color, which darkens with age, crowned by a beautiful canopy of long, arching, pinnate fronds of an attractive dark green and glossy hue with gently drooping leaflets. <\/p>\n

Slow-growing but very hardy, it can reach between 33 and 49 feet (10 and 15 meters) in height in its natural habitat, although in cultivation and indoors, it usually remains much more contained. When mature, it produces long, hanging spike-like inflorescences that emerge between the leaves, followed by ovoid green fruits that turn reddish-brown or yellowish when ripe. It is world-renowned and highly valued as an indoor plant for its great adaptability to low light conditions, also being ideal outdoors for shaded patios, terraces, and gardens in temperate, subtropical, or protected coastal climates. <\/p>\n

It requires partial shade or bright, indirect light<\/b>\u2014always avoiding direct sun, which can scorch its leaves\u2014and a soil rich in organic matter, fertile, and with excellent drainage<\/b>. It tolerates relative lack of light very well, as well as moderate dry indoor air and mild, occasional frosts (down to approximately 27\u00b0F \/ -3\u00b0C once mature); watering should be moderate<\/b>, allowing the top layer of the substrate to dry out between waterings, and reducing it during colder months. It is essential to avoid waterlogging<\/b> at the base and constant excess water, as its roots are very sensitive to rot. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Extended species profile<\/h2><\/div>

Verified cultivation data, designed so that any visitor can understand at a glance whether the plant is suitable for their climate and garden.<\/p>\n<\/div>

Crop<\/p><\/div>

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Exposure<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

Full sun<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Irrigation<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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ORN-WATERING 4\/5 \u00b7 high \u2014 maintain uniform humidity during heat, always with good drainage<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Soil \/ moisture<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Cool to humid; drained<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Bloom<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Summer<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Climate<\/p><\/div>

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USDA Hardiness<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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10b\u201311<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Compatible climates<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Cfb subtropical, Cfa warm, Af\/Am mild<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Tolerance to humid climate<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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ORN-HUM 5\/5 \u00b7 very high<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Maintenance<\/p><\/div>

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Development<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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ORN-ALT 5\/5 \u00b7 26\u201349 ft (8\u201315 m) \u00b7 slow growth<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Pests<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

ORN-PEST 3\/5 \u00b7 medium \u2014 mealybugs, spider mites, thrips, and root rot; lower risk of large borers<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Pass<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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ORN-FERTILIZER 4\/5 \u00b7 high \u2014 specific fertilizer for palms with K, Mg, Mn, and micronutrients, split during growth<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>