Difference between revisions of "Howea forsteriana"

Revision as of 21:24, 26 August 2014

Pronunciation: HOW-ee-uh for-stir-ee-ANN-uh

Common Name: Kentia Palm, Paradise Palm

Howea forsteriana is one of the most commonly grown palms in the US, including southern California, where it not only performs very well as a tall specimen plant and canopy palm, but as a excellent indoor palm as well. These are among some of the most versatile palms one can grow in California. These have a unique, lazy, tropical look with their lax leaflets and irregularly green ringed trunks.

Appearance and Biology

Habit: Solitary with a crown of 16-26 leaves
Height: 40'
Trunk: single; 8" in diameter with a flare/foot at the bottom; green with irregular rings
Crownshaft: none
Spread: 10'-16'
Leaf Description: pinnate; with leaflets lax in mature palms, though less so in juveniles; deep green; leaflets lined with several ridges; 6'-10' long; gently arching away from center
Petiole/Leaf bases: 2' long, smooth and unarmed; unsplit leaf bases-never retained on trunk
Reproduction: monoecious
Inflorescence: 3' long, pendulous with several closely spaced branches; white flowers
Fruit: 1.5" long, oblong with pointed ends; green to red when ripe
Seed:

Horticultural Characteristics

Minimum Temp: 26F
Drought Tolerance: moderate
Dry Heat Tolerance: moderate to poor
Wind Tolerance: moderate
Salt Tolerance: low
Growth Rate: slow to moderate with age
Soil Preference: widely adaptable
Light Requirement: full sun to full shade
Human Hazards: none
Disease or Horticultural Problems: rare cases of 'leaning Howea syndrome'
Transplants?: somewhat tolerant as adult; easy as juvenile
Indoor?: excellent- possibly the best indoor palm there is
Availability: very common, though large plants still quite pricey

Orange county, California
Orange county, California
Fullerton arboretum, California
Los Angeles arboretum
San Diego Zoo, California
boxed for sale
look of mature palms in jungle-like climate, Hawaii
Hawaii
San Diego county, California
San Diego county
Ventura
Lotusland, Santa Barbara, California
Lotusland, Santa Barbara, California
boxed palm in San Diego county
Fullerton arboretum
Orange county, California
San Diego
Ventura county in desert-like climate
Los Angeles
boxed palms for sale
Orange county, California
Orange county
Orange county
San Diego, California
Los Angeles
Ventura, California
cleaned trunk
Huntington gardens, California
cleaned trunk
trunks with some fiber
trunk shot
trunks in Los Angeles
variegated trunk, San Diego county, California
Hawaii
potted plant in mall
potted palm in mall
indoor palm
young palm (seedling)
leaf shot
variegated palm
variegated petiole
immature fruits
maturing fruits
fruits mostly picked clean by squirrels and thieves
immature fruits, Ventura, California
maturing fruits, Santa Barbara, California
in fruit
example of leaf scorch
leaner in San Diego
leaner closer
leaning crown
leaning in Orange county
leaning in Santa Barbara, California
leaning, Orange County, California

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 '''Common Name''': Kentia Palm, Paradise Palm
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-'''''Howea forsteriana''''' is one of the most commonly grown palms in the US, including southern California, where it not only performs very well as a tall specimen plant and canopy palm, but as a excellent indoor palm as well.
+'''''Howea forsteriana''''' is one of the most commonly grown palms in the US, including southern California, where it not only performs very well as a tall specimen plant and canopy palm, but as a excellent indoor palm as well. These are among some of the most versatile palms one can grow in California. These have a unique, lazy, tropical look with their lax leaflets and irregularly green ringed trunks.
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Difference between revisions of "Howea forsteriana"

Geoff Stein - Author & Editor

Revision as of 21:24, 26 August 2014