Lord Howe Island palms (aka Kentia palms) might be native to only a tiny speck in the South Pacific, just seven miles long and one mile wide, but their incredible beauty and resilience have made them not just one of the most popular houseplants on the planet, but a species that has changed the face of architecture.
Ever since Victorian times, the Lord Howe islanders have climbed the trees to harvest their nuts and export them all over the world for the horticultural trade. While today this is strictly controlled for conservation reasons, wild-collected palm seeds for the houseplant business are still the island’s only real export. Every potted palm you see in garden centres across the world is grown painstakingly from seeds like these, taking years to mature.
