Plants of South Eastern New South Wales
Howea forsteriana
Common name
kentia palm, thatch palm
Family
Arecaceae
Where found
Coastal north of Wollongong. Widely cultivated, occasionally naturalised. Native of Lord Howe Island.
Notes
Introduced slender palm tree to 20 m tall. Fruit fleshy. Leaves clustered at the top of the trunk, 300-500 cm long, compound, horizontal to drooping, basal sheaths fibrous. Male and female flowers on the same plant. Flowers with 3 petals and 3 sepals, in groups of 3, with 2 male flowers with 1 female flower between, in 3-8 drooping spikes each 70–130 cm long. Fruit bright or dull red, oval, 3–5 cm long.
PlantNET description: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Howea~forsteriana (accessed 19 January, 2021)
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