Howea fosteriana - Kentia Palms next to The Botanical Builidng in Balboa Park, San Diego, CA

They look magestical there like there guarding the Botanical building.
It looks like it open to the elements the building and no glass is that right.?

Mushybanna:

I never thought about them guarding the Botanical Building...but it works : > )

The Botanical Building is a large lath house open to the elements. It has no glass, nor heaters. You may notice at the lower right...a plant has grown through the laths.

At the botanical gardens here they have to have glass and heaters to keep these palms alive ..
By the way i googled Lord Howea Island to day as i didn't know where it was.
Looks a lovely place :o)))

Mushybanna:

I believe it...Howea fosteriana - Kentia palms don't like freezing temps...however, will tolerate freezing temps for a short period of time. They absolutely will not tolerate snow though.

Lord Howe Island is a very beautiful little island 600 miles off the east coast of Australia, which it belongs. Its main source of revenue is tourism and selling Howea fosteriana, belmoreana seeds. They do also sell to a limited extent two other native palm seeds -- which grow well here in San Diego...Hedyscepe canterburyana - Umbrella Palm and Lepidorrachis mooreana - Little Mountain Palm (which is a little more of a challenge to grow and rarer).

Do you have any photo's of Little Mountain palm as i don't know if i have seen that one ?..

Mushybanna:

I don't know of any in Balboa Park...however, they are usually grown by Palm Society members or palm collector from Southern - Northern Coastal CA. It is a very expensive palm and only available through specialty palm nurseries.

There's several Hedyscepe canterburyana - Umbrella palms in Balboa Park which I've posted in the past. In my opinion Umbrella palms are more beautiful than Lepidorrachis mooreana - Little Mountain Palms...they also grow faster...as Little Mountain Palm is painfully slow..maybe 1 or 2 fronds a year.
In California Little Mountain Palm grows best in the cooler areas along Coastal Northern California...it's closest to the climate on the two mountains where they grow on Lord Howe Island.