Kentia Palms

CHECK OUT MY KENTIA PALM BOOK.

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All owners of Kentia Palms should get a copy of my book "Seed to Elegance".
wwww.kentiapalmbook.com

You'll be amazed at all the history and information in the book that can help with maintaining your Kentia Palm.
Did you know that your Kentia Palm has a direct descendant relationship to the very first Kentia Palm discovered on beautiful Lord Howe Island in the 1800's !! Read all about it in my book.

KENTIA PALM SEED ARRIVING IN EUROPE

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THE ARRIVAL OF KENTIA PALM SEED INTO EUROPE.

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No definitive statement has been found to show when the commercial exploitation of Kentia seeds from the South Pacific began. An advertisement in the British publication, Gardeners' Chronicle Magazine, for July 2, 1898, announced the arrival of 600,000 Kentia seeds, as the "grandest" consignment received for some years and "well worth the attention of the trade". On November 12 of the same year 122,550 seeds of Kentia Forsteriana were offered and on December 17 another consignment of 500,000 seeds were available. Even larger quantities were announced in the early months of 1899. In the course of that year it appears as though two million Kentia seeds were auctioned on the London market.
As the Kentia was becoming more and more popular in Europe and North America there emerged new greenhouse growers anxious to become involved in growing this most sought after new product. One group of greenhouses growers was the DeClerq family of Ghent, Belgium. They began importing Kentia seeds for their production operation as early as 1898. Their largest seed purchase initially was in the early 1900's when they imported 800,000 seeds from Lord Howe Island. Besides the DeClerqs there were a number of other Belgian and Dutch growers becoming involved with growing Kentias so that demand for securing seed for annual production was very competitive.
Lord Howe Island had established itself as the main producer of Kentia Palm seed in the early 1900's but smaller quantities were also becoming available from Australia and Norfolk Island. Growers such as the DeClerqs were diversifying their seed purchases. their first connection with Norfolk Island was when they bought 12 bushels ( 60,000 Kentia seeds ) from a Norfolk resident named Mr. Gazzard in 1937. Then again in 1947, when trade resumed after World War Two, records show that the DeClerqs obtained another 20 bushels ( 100,000 Kentia seeds ) from Norfolk Island.
Kentia Palm seed for shipping was predominately packed in small wooden boxes for shipping. Once the seed was placed in the box a quantity of aged sawdust was included. Method of shipping in those early days was by ship and seed consignments from Australia, Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island could take anywhere up to six and a half months to reach a European destination.
It was normal during the travel time for some seed to begin germinating. So growers would have an advantage of planting the germinated seed right away into growing pots. The other ungerminated seed was then planted for conventional germinating.

CONTINUATION ABOUT GERMINATING KENTIA SEED

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KENTIA SEED PLANTED IN FLUTE BOXES

Germinated Kentia Palm sprouts

Kentia Palm seed does not need light to germinate. Boxes can be stored in an enclosed environment, even a garage will suffice as long as the temperature doesn't get too hot or too cold inside. A preferred time to plant Kentia seed is in the late "Fall". Planting at this time sees a gradual warming of temperature in the Spring and Summer months and assists the development of the germination. Depending on the quality of the seed you have planted, germination using this planting method will start in about four to six months and a sixty to sixty five percent germination will occur in twelve to fifteen months.

GERMINATING KENTIA PALM SEED

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The method of germinating Kentia Palm seed is fairly universal, but as a grower who produced Kentia seedlings for export worldwide it took a number of years to eventually develop the art of producing a high viability germinated rate from seed planted.

Once I picked or purchased my seed for planting I dried it out on a concrete floor in a garage or shed for about four weeks prior to planting.This method of drying turns the husk of the seeds brown and assists to dissapate some of the seeds moisture content. Drying seed in advance of planting can hasten the germination by as much as two months.

Earlier in my years of planting Kentia seed I use to plant the seed in raised wooden beds. This way of planting was not very good as and ideal growing temperatures could not be maintained. After visiting the Lord Howe Island Kentia Nursery and the Blom's Kentia Palm growing facility in Aalsmeer in the Netherlands I observed that the best way to germinate Kentia seed was by planting Kentia seed in individual boxes. I used either a polystryene box, a flute corrugated plastic box or a 20 litre plastic tub.

The planting medium most favorable for germinating Kentia seed is a mixture of 60% peat and 40% perlite or coco peat, a natural fibre made from coconut husks. The planting boxes or tubs are lined with a clear plastic bag. About four to five inches of medium is placed in the bag-lined box. Scatter the dried seed evenly over the medium and then cover the seed with about two inches of medium. I would then lightly spray the top of the medium with a fungicide/insecticide solution, tie the plastic bag with a twist tie and put the box lid on.

KENTIA PALM TREE INFORMATION

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MATURED KENTIA PALM SEED
It takes about fifteen years for a Kentia Palm to produce its first crop of viable seed, and by that I mean seed that will have a good germination rate for production.

The seeds on the Kentia Palm grow on long stems known as fingers, with about 200 seeds to a full finger. There are from three to seven fingers growing together, in groups called hands. The Kentia Palm has been known to grow to a height of over eighty feet, but the average height is between thirty and fifty feet.

Once the tree begins seeding it normally has two or three crops of seed on it as various stages of growth. The lower seed hands are the mature seeds that are colored a light yellow. The second seed hand above, a dark green color, are the next season's crop, and the flowering spikes protruding from the center of the tree are the formation of the third year's crop. To test if seed is mature prior to harvesting, an old Norfolk Island picking custom is to bite a seed taken from the tree finger, and if the seed is hard to bite than the seed is mature.

A KENTIA PALM TREE ABOUT TEN YEARS OLD

If you are thinking about planting Kentia Palms on your property another old Island tip is to plant the palms about 12 feet apart. This way they are in a format where proper cultivation and maintenance will yield you a very nice looking plant which will eventually guarantee quality seed.

When I planted small Kentia Palm trees ( about three feet tall ) on my property on Norfolk Island I planted a banana sucker next to the palm. What this did was to help shade the palm in its early stages of growth. Once I saw that the Kentia had adapted to the outside environment I cut the banana plant out. Any planting of small Kentia Palms should have some shade around them. This will help with the palm not turning a yellow coloring which basically relates to too much direct sunlight

Another tip when buying Kentias from growers or chain stores for planting on your properties is to make sure the palm is root bound and reasonably mature enough for outside planting. To do this lift the palm up by the stem and see if there is any looseness with the stem and the potting mixture. If the pot and stem are bound together and don't come apart then the palm is okay to purchase.

WHY KENTIA PALMS ARE EXPENSIVE IN THE U.S.

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Kentia Palms are grown all over the world. Except for certian areas within Europe, Kentia production is mainly done in an outdoor field environment.
In Europe where Kentias are grown in enclosed greenhouses the production cost to produce a Kentia Palm is a lot less than a Kentia Palm produced outdoors. Growers using enclosed facilities to produce Kentias are able to maintain a constant growing temperature year round, and are not subjected to the outside elements of fluctuating weather conditions. A saleable product can be available within three years growing Kentias this way. Of course there are costs such as electricity and gas associated with owning a heated greenhouse that don't apply to growing Kentias in the field and under shade, but most growers in Europe get a very subsidized discount from their Governments for agriculture production.
Field grown Kentias in California can take anywhere from five to eight years of production to be ready as a saleable plant. Growing time is slowed during the winter months because of the drop in temperature. Plants virtually become dormant and not a lot of growth development will occur.

KENTIAS GROWN IN AN ENCLOSED GREENHOUSE.

Therefore the production cost of a field grown Kentia Palm compared to an indoor produced Kentia virtually comes down to growth time. Caring for a field grown Kentia for a period of five to eight years involves a lot of time and expense and that is why a saleable Kentia Palm in the U.S. can be expensive.

Kentia Palms

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Last week I was communicating with friends and growers in different parts of the world to see how the Kentia Palm industry was doing. A great majority of Kentia Palm seed and seedlings are exported worldwide from either Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island or Australia. The bulk of these exports are destined for Europe.
If you would have read my book you would have learnt that an abundance of Kentia Palm seedlings are grown in Dutch greenhouses in Aalsmeer or in Sicily in Italy. Kentia Palms grown in Europe are produced in a more upright style so that they can be accommodated in smaller homes and business areas. Without a doubt European growers produce/grow the best quality Kentia Palms. The plants are always nice and green and have no tip burn what soever.
Being one of the most durable palms for indoor use the Kentia Palm has always been a growing commodity that was profitable for growers. However in recent years over production in Europe has seen selling prices plummet. My contact in Europe tells me that a 120cms ( or three and a half feet ) potted Kentias with multiple plants per pot ( 5-7 ) are selling for 4 Euros, and a number of specialist Kentia Palm growers there have gone bust.
It is a shame that Kentia Palms cannot be imported into the United States with selling prices such as those!!!
In my next post I'll outline the state of the Kentia Palm market here in the USA.

Kentia Palm Book

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Seed to Elegance explains all. Contributions of significant figures from several centuries are clearly developed. Abundant illustrations enhance the compelling text describing the Kentia's life cycle, the history of its popularity, and the modern methods used to produce and distribute the palms to customers.

A must have for any palm tree lover!!!!!

Queen Victoria and the "Sentry Palm"

2011-03-31T12:32:00.000-07:00

It is a known fact that the Kentia Palm was a favorite of Queen Victoria. Many pictures taken of Queen Victoria at her stately homes or castles regularly featured a beautiful Kentia Palm somewhere in the background. Tradition has it that Queen Victoria left instructions that Kentia Palms be featured as a decorative plant at her lying in state prior to her funeral. Thus the nickname of 'sentry palm" for the Kentia Palm became known, because the trees were positioned at the four corners of her coffin.

Kentia Palms in the United States.

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As Kentia production increased its capacity in Europe, word of the plant's beauty, durability and popularity reached North America. Miss Katherine O. Sessions, renowned in her time as one of the United States' most elite horticulturists is credited with introducing the Kentia Forsteriana and other new exciting foliage plants into her country in the late 1800's.
Before long shiploads of foliage plants, including Kentia Palms, were arriving into the East Coast ports from British and European greenhouses. Consignments were sold to greenhouse growers in the Northeastern USA for immediate resale or for "growing on" and subsequent resale at a latter date. These shipments may be considered as the start of globalization of foliage plant production.
At this time Californian plants growers were eager to participate in the new business of producing foliage plants. One advantage Californian growers had over their Northeastern counterparts was that they did not have to pay heating costs for growing a product. One such business in California that began growing Kentia Palms was Jacob Dietrich Nursery. However in the 1920's they sold their business to Roy Wilcox and thus began the long line of involvement by the Wilcox family in growing Kentia Palms. The present day company of Keeline and Wilcox was founded in 1946 and so began their operation of shipping their grown Kentias nationwide by train and air. The Wilcox family are the major grower of Kentia Palms in the continental United States.
The two pictures featured in this article were provided to me by Richard Wilcox and I think they are great!

Kentias in modern day movies

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The World famous Grandhotel Pupp is one of the traditional hotels in Central Europe. It is located in the Czech Republic in the most beautiful part of Western Bohemain spa town of Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad).
The best evenings at the luxury Becher's Bar starts with cocktails. Remember: "Shaken, not stirred"! The Grandhotel Pupp has starred in a number of movies. The James Bond thriller "Casino Royale" with Daniel Craig and the comedy "Last Holiday" with Queen Latifah and Gerard Depardieu both had scenes shot at the Grandhotel Pupp and in those scenes you would have seen many elegant Kentias in full display.

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Small Kentias in pots in the 1st Class Reception room on RMS Titantic.

Kentia Palms

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I've been researching more information about the Kentia Palm and its history. What an amazing plant. Anyone who owns one should definitely want to learn more about it.
Kentias thrived as decorative plants late in the 1800's and early 1900's. They were featured in beautiful display in one of the 1st Class Reception Rooms on the RMS Titantic. The Detroit Auto Show featured them as did the exclusive Jefferson Hotel in their Japanese Palm Garden.
This picture shows Kentias in the Plaza Hotel at the beginning of the 20th Century.

Kentia Palms

2010-03-14T09:54:00.000-07:00

This is my story of the beautiful Kentia Palm. I have had a lifelong passion for the Kentia Palm. I started growing and exporting Kentia seedlings from Norfolk Island in the South Pacific in 1985. Over the last 25 years I have gathered a wealth of knowledge about the Kentia and its history through practical experience in growing, exporting and selling the palm, traveling worldwide to visit Kentia growers and plantations, and compiling extensive historical research matter about the Kentia's rise to fame as the world's best indoor plant. My story is documented in my latest book release called "Seed to Elegance". The book details abundant illustrations and pictures spanning three centuries of the Kentia's life cycle. My blog will give readers an insight into the fascination and mystique of Queen Victoria's favorite plant. I hope you enjoy it and perhaps maybe tempted to buy the book!!

My Kentia Palm blog will also include a historical look at Norfolk Island. I was very fortunate enough to have lived on Norfolk Island for a period of 28 years. It is a wonderful Island and its people are truly remarkable. The history associated with the island's discovery is well worth reading, and it is hard to imagine the human cruelty that took place there during the Second Penal Settlement. Now a days it is an idyllic destination for tourists.

KENTIA PALMS.

In the 1700's and 1800's British navel explorers criss-crossed the oceans of the southern hemisphere. New territories such as Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island near Australia were claimed for the British Empire.
Botanists sailed aboard many of the ships. Their duties encompassed descriptions of local wildlife and vegetation with accurate illustrations of their findings. Wherever possible, seeds and living specimens were bought back to England.
Under such perilous conditions few tropical plants survived to grow or germinate in the northern climate of Great Britain. Only the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew and the very few other gardens where researchers conducted plant studies, could expect to receive such precious samples. Tropical and subtropical plants remained rare and costly. To own such plants was a sign of significant wealth and status.
In 1869 Charles Moore, the director of the Royal Botanical Garden in Sydney, made a brief visit to Lord Howe Island. Moore's task was to survey the Island's vegetation, including the palms that formed dense forests covering the Island's lowland area.
Moore singled out two palms that grew in abundance. They were given the botanical names Kentia Belmoreana ( after the Earl of Belmore ) and Kentia Forsteriana ( honoring William Forster, a prominent Senator in New South Wales, Australia ).
Upon his return to Sydney, Moore sent a small amount of seeds from these palms to Sir Joseph Hooker, Curator of England's Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew. Hooker had been a distinguished plant collector. He was well aware of the potential commercial possibilities of successfully introducing into the British market a previously unknown plant from a distant part of the Empire.
As an enthusiastic member of the international botanical fraternity, Moore would have been informed of the changing fashions in England. Moore laid the groundwork for the Kentia's introduction with several letters published in the "Gardeners' Chronicle". This magazine was founded by Joseph Paxton in 1841. By 1870 it was England's premier gardening journal, with a readership in the thousands. Moore's later letters advocating the decorative qualities and reliability of the plant identified on Lord Howe Island were read with interest by gardening enthusiasts. Those in position to afford such a luxury, when the palms were available, turned to English nurserymen for supplies of the palm.