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Howea is a genus of two palms, Howea forsteriana (Kentia palm) and Howea belmoreana, both native to Lord Howe Island. H. forsteriana is the one commonly grown as a houseplant, valued for its graceful, low-maintenance form.
Howea is a genus of two palms, H. belmoreana and H. forsteriana, both endemic to Lord Howe Island, Australia. H. forsteriana in particular is commonly grown as an indoor plant in the Northern Hemisphere, and the two species form the mainstay of the island's palm seed industry and more importantly its trade in newly germinated seedlings. The palms are also cultivated on Norfolk Island, where seeds are produced for export.
Lord Howe Island, at approximately 31°S, has a subtropical climate. Summers are mild to warm with regular rain, and winters are wetter and somewhat cooler. Average maximum temperatures range between 17 °C and 20 °C in winter and from 24 °C to 27 °C in the summer. In winter, average minimum temperatures range between 12 °C and 15 °C, and 18 °C to 22 °C in summer. Humidity averages in the 60 to 70 per cent range all year round.
Howea spp. grow well in subtropical climes, and are hardy to the USDA zone 9b. They are widely grown in warm temperate climates, and there are also occasional healthy specimens in tropical areas such as Hawaii. H. belmoreana, with its erect fronds and aversion to life in a pot, is not as commonly cultivated indoors as the graceful H. forsteriana, which is often referred to as the Kentia palm.
H. forsteriana is common in lowland forest on Lord Howe Island, preferring sandy soils. H. belmoreana occurs as scattered individuals with H. forsteriana, but becomes abundant at higher elevations up to 450 metres. Hybridisation between the two species is rare because H. forsteriana flowers seven weeks earlier than H. belmoreana.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Howea by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
