Temperature
60–80°F
Keep away from winter window glass and heating vents.
Kentia palm
Howea forsteriana
Kentia palm wants medium light and water every 8 to 14 days, once the top two inches are dry. Non-toxic to cats and dogs.
Light
Medium
LowMediumBright indirectDirect
Five to eight feet back from a window, or beside a north one. The classic parlour palm because it genuinely tolerates a dim room.
Water
Every 8–14 days
Baseline for a 6-inch pot indoors. Check first: water when the top two inches are dry, not on a schedule.
Humidity
40% and up
Fine in normal household air. Prefers 50%.
Difficulty
Easy
Scores 1 of 5: Scores 1 of 5: slow, shade-tolerant and long-lived. Victorian drawing rooms grew these in gaslight; a modern living room is easy by comparison.
Habit
Clumping
Grows to 48–120 inches. No support needed.
Non-toxic to cats and dogs
Eating a large amount of any plant can still cause mild stomach upset.
Detail for cats → Detail for dogs →
What each authority says
- ASPCA
- Non-toxic to cats and dogs
- NC State Extension
- Entry exists and records no poison data.
Light
Medium light. Five to eight feet back from a window, or beside a north one. The classic parlour palm because it genuinely tolerates a dim room.
Water
Every 8 to 14 days in a 6-inch pot, when the top two inches are dry.
Treat the interval as a starting point and the test as the actual instruction. Pot size, light level and season all move the number.
| Method | soak and dry |
|---|---|
| Test before watering | the top two inches are dry |
Soil and potting
Two parts potting soil, one part perlite.
Repot roughly every 3 years, or when roots come through the drainage holes and water runs straight through without absorbing.
Common problems
Ranked by how often each turns out to be the cause for this species. Each links to a diagnosis page with the causes ranked for this species.
- Brown crispy edges monitor
- Yellow leaves this week
Pests
Recorded for this species. Each links to identification and treatment.
- Spider mites act today
- Scale insects this week
Propagation
Seed in soil. Roots in 60 to 180 days.
| Preferred method | seed |
|---|---|
| Medium | soil |
| Time to root | 60–180 days |
| Node required | No |
| Best season | Spring and summer |
Sources
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control — Howea forsteriana Checked 2026-09-12.
- North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — Howea forsteriana (consulted; entry exists and records no poison data.) Checked 2026-09-12.
- Wikidata entity Q146290 — taxonomy and entity identity.
- Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Plants of the World Online — Howea forsteriana Checked 2026-09-12.
- Photograph: Black Diamond Images, Wikimedia Commons , CC BY 2.0.
Compiled and edited by Tony Valcarcel · 2026-09-02
Tony Valcarcel is the editor and publisher of this database, not a horticulturist
or a veterinarian. Every fact above is drawn from the sources listed, and
toxicity severity is reported only where one of them stated it.
How this is sourced.
Last updated 2026-09-02