Alfred's nursery in Tana

[bruno]

Here is one palm that we saw several times at palmarium south of Toamasina with Dr D.

Plenty of them in this forest. It has no trunk and never makes one. Alfred told me it is a ravenea, but it has not been described yet.

[bruno]

Here is the same one, very young still. Note how pretty the leaf is when it is not fully open, the tips are still "glued" together.

[DoomsDave]

Yowza, what can I say!

You're in paradise, amigo!

dave

[Greg in Lake Forest CA]

Bruno, You are the man!!!  Much appreciated.

Please post any and all Dypsis photo's, especially the larger species if possible.  

Have you ever come across Dypsis sp. Green Boresy? Any thoughts on what the name might mean?

Thank you, Greg

[Walter John]

Can we see what you yourself are growing Bruno ?

Do you have a place of your own ?

[Tyrone]

Bruno,

Thanks for the photos. I've just been looking at them all for the first time in one hit. I'd love to go and se Alfred's nursery if I ever get over there. It would be torture though, because I couldn't bring any back to Oz.

One question about Orania ravaka. Did Alfred grow that at that altitude without any cold protection. I was under the impression that Orania's were too tropical for such high altitude as Tana. I hope I'm wrong. If it can be grown in Tana, I'm going to go and get all the Malagasy Orania species I can get my hands on for my garden. I'd love to have an Orania growing.

I thinked I've killed my O trispatha, too wet and it has rotted the centre out from when my hothouse overheated. It has only one big leaf and no more growth.

Keep us posted with your Orania, especially since it's winter. It hope it grows well for you.

I looked at Yahoo weather for Tana today and it said 16C for a maximum for you today. Is that right? That must be cold for you.

Keep posting the pics.

best regards

Tyrone

[MattyB]

I noticed that the ground and pots at the nursery look really dry.

[bruno]

OK Wal, I'll take some pictures of my garden, which has been my parents' garden since 1963, and i moved in only 4 months ago. They have never planted a palm! Yes just one, by the pool, a lutescens. They loved roses and my father who grew up in france, loved french fruits: peaches, apricots...

I have planted about 30 palms and most of them are small, very small. And it is winter so nothing really grows, a few leaves peek through but so slowly. I have to wait for the rains in october.

Tyrone, es Orania grows without protection, just in the shaded area of the nursery, mine is outside. It was 9°C this morming at 7. cold.

The ground at the nursery is very dry. The unique gardener waters with a container, "arrosoir" in french, don't rememeber the english name!

[bruno]

Here is a dypsis nodifera. Plenty of them in the part I visited.

[bruno]

And a louvelii I suppose, I saw a few with Dr D in Andasibe, smaller though. This one lokks like it is adult already. Mr Louvel was a director of "water and forests" in Antananarivo in the 50's. He initiated a lot of projects at the time. I was a child and knew him quite well.

[bruno]

Here are the seeds of the louvelii. Red! Jeff was told that there were only two varieties of dypsis with red seeds. Here is one more.

[bruno]

Alfred has not answered me on these two yet. He told me today that he had so much work he cannot handle everything. He received many emails from you!

But I suppose you will know what they are.

[bruno]

Can you help me with the name of this one? I always forget it.

[Jeff Searle]

(bruno @ Jun. 30 2006,13:47)

QUOTE

Here are the seeds of the louvelii. Red! Jeff was told that there were only two varieties of dypsis with red seeds. Here is one more.

Hello Bruno,

    I would kindly like to mention, that what I said was this Dypsis forficifolia is the only Dypsis that has a red infructescence, the flowering spike that  holds the seed. Most species of Dypsis produce red fruit. I hope this is clear to all the readers. Thank-you.

[bruno]

sorry jJeff! I will read more carefully next time because botanical terms are above my head still and in english, it is even harder

And I still don't know what the name of crownshaft is in french! Alfred and I decided to call it "col" (collar) until someone tells us.

Here is a scared bug, the last pic of my visit to anjozorobe

[Tyrone]

I love looking at the pictures you post Bruno. It's a pleasure having you part of this forum.

regards

Tyrone

[bruno]

Dypsisdean, I have just talked to Alfred who told me that the bismarckias and all palms he has in the earth are both for sale and for seeds. He transplants them in september, early spring, before the heat is too strong.

He cuts the petioles in the middle of the leaf and cuts also the lower leaves. That is the best way to have the palm transplanted.

Here is a pic of the first palm I bought when i came in this house early march. I'm sure no one has one like that. But behind it, 2 florencei I just bought.

[Walter John]

(bruno @ Jul. 04 2006,13:33)

QUOTE

Dypsisdean, I have just talked to Alfred who told me that the bismarckias and all palms he has in the earth are both for sale and for seeds. He transplants them in september, early spring, before the heat is too strong.

He cuts the petioles in the middle of the leaf and cuts also the lower leaves. That is the best way to have the palm transplanted.

Here is a pic of the first palm I bought when i came in this house early march. I'm sure no one has one like that. But behind it, 2 florencei I just bought.

Wow, what do you call that palm Bruno, Cocos nucifera sp.hallway alba ?

[bruno]

and it has aerial roots like pandanus. It grows on gravel and rocks, does not need water some dusting once in a while. alba... yes.

[Tyrone]

Bruno, I wish I had a couple of D florencei next to my front door. I'll have to settle for my Pinanga coronata which I'm very happy with actually. It keeps growing all thru winter too.

I spose your Cocos nucifera sp doorway alba is a very easy care species.

regards

Tyrone

[Kim]

Selfishly bumping this thread because it was on the last page of the Travel Logs and I don't want to lose the information!  

[BS Man about Palms]

Thank you Kim, I missed it the first time!!! WOW

[Chuck B]

WOW!What awesome shots!Would love to travel there.Sign me up for the D.florenceii.

[Jeff in St Pete]

Thanks Kim, I missed it the first time also.  It gave me a whole new appreciation for Dypsis palms.

Thanks to Bruno for posting them!  The palms in posts 41 and 42 (Ravenea?) are beautiful!

[Palmetro]

(bruno @ Jun. 27 2006,15:31)

QUOTE

same family I suppose, but different looking, plump little figures.

They all look like pachypodiums, lamerii, saundersii and other ones that I dont know their names.. here in mexico, they call "Palma de madagascar" to pachypodium lamerii even if is not a palm!

Thanks for sharing all those fotos bruno!

Christian

[JD in the OC]

Bruno,

Any updated pics on these palms??

Thanks