| Positive | palmbob | On Jul 26, 2003, palmbob from Tarzana, CA
(Zone 9b) wrote:This tree, though too slow growing for most, is one of the most spectacular palms you can grow in Southern California. It is touchy as a seedling, but once established, grows steadily and forms a trunk within about 10 years. It has nice long slightly recurved leaves with smooth, deep green leaflets arranged either in paralell or in clumps at various angles (later these varieties may be end up being different species, but that will be a longs way off). The new spike (turns into a leaf) has a very attractive red coloratioin. The trunk is massive and tends to swell in the middle once quite large. It is usually a suckering palm, having 2-3 trunks. However, if trimmed to one trunk, it grows significantly faster. This is a prized palm for So Cal growers. IT has a good degree of cold hardiness, rarely being touched by frosts. However, it struggles in alkaline soils (such as found in Florida).
Like all Dypsis species, this is a native of Madagascar. However, if you've ever been to Madagascar, you know there is only a fraction of the forest left than there was even 10 years ago. Someday, soon, this palm may be extinct. |
3 members have or want this plant for trade.
