Howea is a genus of two palm species — Howea forsteriana (Kentia palm) and Howea belmoreana (Belmore sentry palm) — both endemic to Lord Howe Island, a small Australian island territory in the Tasman Sea. The genus belongs to the family Arecaceae and the order Arecales.
Both species are unarmed, monoecious palms of moderate size. The trunk is erect, bare, and carries prominent leaf scars, occasionally expanded into a knob-like base. Unlike many other palms, Howea lacks a crownshaft. The leaves are pinnate, and the well-developed sheaths eventually disintegrate into a criss-crossed mass of fine fibres around the trunk. Inflorescences are erect when young and later become pendulous, arising between the leaf stems.
The two species are distinguished mainly by leaf anatomy: H. forsteriana has relatively flat fronds with elegantly drooping leaflets, while H. belmoreana has curved leaves with erect leaflets giving a more angular silhouette. Hybridisation in the wild is rare because H. forsteriana flowers approximately seven weeks earlier than H. belmoreana.
H. forsteriana — widely known as the Kentia palm — is one of the most popular indoor palms in the world, prized for its tolerance of low light and indoor conditions. The cultivation and export of palm seeds and seedlings from Lord Howe Island forms the mainstay of the island's economy. Both species are also grown on Norfolk Island, where seeds are produced for export.
Distribution
Both Howea species are endemic to Lord Howe Island, Australia. H. forsteriana is common in lowland forest, preferring sandy soils, while H. belmoreana occurs scattered at lower elevations but becomes abundant higher up, reaching 450 metres. Both species are also cultivated on nearby Norfolk Island.
Ecology
The two species occupy overlapping but somewhat distinct niches on Lord Howe Island. H. forsteriana predominates in the lowland zone on sandy soils, while H. belmoreana is more abundant at higher elevations. Hybridisation between them is rare in the wild because H. forsteriana flowers approximately seven weeks earlier than H. belmoreana, limiting the window for cross-pollination.
Cultivation
Howea palms grow well in subtropical climates and are hardy to USDA zone 9b. Lord Howe Island, at approximately 31°S, has a mild subtropical climate with average winter maxima of 17–20 °C and summer maxima of 24–27 °C; annual humidity averages 60–70%. H. forsteriana (Kentia palm) is the more widely cultivated species indoors across the Northern Hemisphere, tolerating lower light than most palms. H. belmoreana, with its more upright, arching fronds, is less suited to container life and is less commonly grown as a houseplant. Both species are also successfully grown in warm temperate climates and in some tropical areas such as Hawaii.
History
Lord Howe Island's economy has long centred on the cultivation and export of Howea palms. Both species form the mainstay of the island's palm seed industry and — more significantly — its trade in newly germinated seedlings, which are shipped worldwide for use as indoor ornamentals. Cultivation for export also takes place on Norfolk Island.
