Howea belmoreana

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Wind-tattered plant in a car yard in the centre of Tauranga, in New Zealand. Photo by tanetahi, edric.

Howea (HOW-eh-ah) belmoreana (bell-mor'-eh-AHN-ah)

Sydney, AU. Photo by Jordi, edric.

Scientific Classification

Genus:	Howea (HOW-eh-ah)
Species:	belmoreana (bell-mor'-eh-AHN-ah)

Synonyms

None set.

Native Continent

Oceania

Morphology

Habit:	solitary
Leaf type:	pinnate
Height:	40 ft/12 m
Trunk diameter:	6-8 in/15 cm

Culture

Sun exposure:	Mild full sun
Watering:	moderate/humid
Soil type:	tolerant

Survivability index

Common names

Belmore Sentry Palm, Curly palm.

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Habitat and Distribution

Norfolk Is., specifically Lord Howe Island off Australia, where it grows in the moderate, hilly rainforests, but not along the coast where most of the Kentia palms grow in massive palm forests.

Description

This monoecious, pinnate palm grows to about 40'/12m tall and has a closely ringed green trunk about 6 inches/15cm in diameter. The leaves are striking and markedly recurved, nearly forming a half circle in their arching up, out and down. The leaves are quite long, but the width of the entire palm is much less than the doubled length of the leaves because of their extreme recurving. The leaflets grow up and out away from the rachis forming a pronounced 'V', in sharp contrast to the droopy, downward pointing leaflets of its cousin, Howea forsteriana. The inflorescences are unbranched, also in constrast to H. forsteriana, though the fruits are similar shape and color (dark red and ovoid). There is no crownshaft. Editing by edric.

Culture

Though supposedly unhappy in a tropical, warm climate, palms look extremely healthy and vigorous growing in the coastal Hawaiian rainforests. However, the palm looks perfect, as well, in a nearly frost-free Mediterranean climate. It is a significantly more difficult and touchy palm than H. forsteriana, growing more slowly (hence the crowded, closely spaced trunk rings) and being less tolerant of full sun, cold, wind and indoor situations. This palm is probably cold tolerant to around 28F/-2.2C, but will show leaf burn even at that temp if kept there for any length of time.

Culture

Comments and Curiosities

"There are two species in this genus, both from the Lord Howe Islands off Australia. The other, much more common species, Howea forsteriana or Kentia palm, is the most commonly used indoor palm in the industry. It also grows great outdoors in So Cal, and survives in Hawaii and Florida. So does this species. But H belmoreana is a very different looking palm, having more upright and recurved leaves. It is also grows more slowly and is somewhat more tender (by a few degrees) to cold than the Kentia Palm. Another difference is in the infructesences... H belmoreana has single, simple flowers that extend off the palm like long, thick cords. H forsteriana has branching flowers and seeds grow enmass from this palm. H belmoreana makes a decent indoor palm, but is less happy with low light situations and more susceptible to rot and mealy bug." (Geoff Stein)

"The fronds of the curly palm are characteristically very dark green and can look almost black from a distance. It is tolerant of a wide range of illumination conditions, from full sun to deep shade. In cultivation, it also tolerates Mediterranean climates with a long dry summer surprisingly well. Brisbane's climate is rather too hot for it, it is happier down in coastal New South Wales, including Sydney and Newcastle. This palm is unusual in having rather long petioles at maturity; most large, canopy-height feather palms end up with quite short petioles by the time they reach this height. It is really very slow - this one is quite possibly the same age as the vast Archontophoenix trees surrounding it. In the wild, only found on Lord Howe Island in the South Pacific, and less numerous there than H. forsteriana, usually growing a bit higher up the hills and mountains than H. forsteriana, in basaltic soils. There are perhaps a dozen mature specimens of its sister species Howea forsteriana around Mt. Coot-Tha gardens." (tanetahi) See photos at bottom of page, edric.

External Links

References

Phonetic spelling of Latin names by edric.

Special thanks to Geoff Stein, (Palmbob) for his hundreds of photos, edric.

Special thanks to palmweb.org, Dr. John Dransfield, Dr. Bill Baker & team, for their volumes of information and photos, edric.

IMAGE GALLERY
Encinitas, coastal So. California.	Spicate Inflorescence. Transit Hill, Lord Howe Island, Australia. Photo by Dr. William J. Baker, edric.	Spicate Inflorescence. Transit Hill, Lord Howe Island, Australia. Photo by Dr. William J. Baker, edric.	Near Kinishookoat, Lord Howe Island. Photo by Dr. William J. Baker, edric.
Near Kim's Lookout, Lord Howe Island, Australia. Photo by Dr. William J. Baker, edric.	Near Kim's Lookout, Lord Howe Island, Australia. Photo by Dr. William J. Baker, edric.	Far Flats, Lord Howe Island, Australia. Photo by Dr. William J. Baker, edric.	Near Airport, Lord Howe Island, Australia. Photo by Dr. William J. Baker, edric.
Transit Hill, Lord Howe Island, Australia. Photo by Dr. William J. Baker, edric.	Smoking Tree Ridge, Lord Howe Island, Australia. Photo by Dr. William J. Baker, edric.	Transit Hill, Lord Howe Island, Australia. Photo by Dr. William J. Baker, edric.	Transit Hill, Lord Howe Island, Australia. Photo by Dr. William J. Baker, edric.
Near Airport, Lord Howe Island, Australia. Photo by Dr. William J. Baker, edric.	Goat House Path, Lord Howe Island, Australia. Photo by Dr. William J. Baker, edric.	Fruit Without Scales. Goat House Path, Lord Howe Island, Australia. Photo by Dr. William J. Baker, edric.	Fruit Without Scales. Goat House Path, Lord Howe Island, Australia. Photo by Dr. William J. Baker, edric.
Lord Howe Island. Photo-Palms & Cycads, edric.	In habitat. Photo by Jo Wilkins, edric.	In habitat. Photo by Jo Wilkins, edric.	In cultivation, at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. Photo by Kahuroa, edric.
Auckland Regional botanic garden, New Zealand. Photo by tanetah, edric.	Orange County, California.	Santa Monica California.	Huntington Beach, California.
	Audobon Center, Oahu, Hawaii.	Santa Barbara, California.	Carpentaria, near Santa Barbara, California.
Sherman Oaks, California.	Balboa Park, San Diego, California.		Southern California. Howea forsteriana on right.
		Ventura county, California.

	San Diego Botanic Garden.	Wind-tattered plant in a car yard in the centre of Tauranga, in New Zealand. Photo by tanetahi, edric.	In the rainforest section of Brisbane's botanic gardens. Mt. Coot-Tha gardens, Toowong, Brisbane, QLD, AU. Photo by tanetahi, edric.
Mt. Coot-Tha gardens, Toowong, Brisbane, QLD, AU. Photo by tanetahi, edric.	Mt. Coot-Tha gardens, Toowong, Brisbane, QLD, AU. Photo by tanetahi, edric.	Mt. Coot-Tha gardens, Toowong, Brisbane, QLD, AU. Photo by tanetahi, edric.	Howea Forsteriana Left, and Howea Belmoreana Centre, Auckland, New Zealand. Photo-Black Diamond Images, edric.
Sydney, AU. Photo by Jordi, edric.	Sydney, AU. Photo by Jordi, edric.