Cyphosperma balansae - A winner not seen enough

[Matt in OC]

@Tracy and @Palm Tree Jim mine is doing well. It's certainly not fast, but I have palms that are slower. During the summer, mine got a pretty good dose of midday sun and didn't seem to mind at all. It gets a lot of leaf litter from the vine above it and gets regular water in dense soil. I think, with some patience, it'll be worth the wait! This pic is from a few weeks ago.

edit: I should also mention that the cold doesn't seem to affect it.

[joe_OC]

I am growing two that are pretty shaded under canopy.  Will be interesting to compare to sun grown ones for Southern California.

[Tracy]

On 4/21/2016, 1:16:21, Dypsisdean said:

This small grouping is really starting to take off. I don't know why it isn't grown more. I have one 15+ year old outside in SoCal, so I know it should be tried more there. These are about 6 yrs in the ground (in Hawaii) from two gal size.

Dean, this one must be getting bigger now over on the island, perhaps you can show what happens over a 2 year time span in Hawaii.  I still haven't made it over to your son's to see the one here in his Leucadia garden (your former garden), but someday.  Post an update when you get a chance.

[palmfriend]

Beautiful palm! Thank`s for all the photos -

I made a note on my wish list  

best regards

Lars

 

[Dypsisdean]

7 hours ago, Tracy said:

Dean, this one must be getting bigger now over on the island, perhaps you can show what happens over a 2 year time span in Hawaii.  I still haven't made it over to your son's to see the one here in his Leucadia garden (your former garden), but someday.  Post an update when you get a chance.

Here you go Tracy. Kinda dark out, but you get the idea. One day soon the older sheaths will peel off and I'll have a foot or two of clear trunk on these. I'll take another pic when that happens.

[joe_OC]

Dean...the pic of your C. balansae in SoCal had me hooked on this palm.  Growing mine in shade as that was how I remembered you did it.

[Dypsisdean]

2 minutes ago, joe_OC said:

Dean...the pic of your C. balansae in SoCal had me hooked on this palm.  Growing mine in shade as that was how I remembered you did it.

Not sure if that is the best exposure Joe, as that palm constantly leaned out trying to get more sun. I haven't seen it in a few years, so I'm curious how it is doing these days.

[joe_OC]

Luckily, my canopy is bananas.  I can give it more sun as needed as it is south facing. 

In "Palms for California", Geoff stated shade to filtered sun for light requirements...has that changed?

[Dypsisdean]

1 hour ago, joe_OC said:

Luckily, my canopy is bananas.  I can give it more sun as needed as it is south facing. 

In "Palms for California", Geoff stated shade to filtered sun for light requirements...has that changed?

Time will tell.

[BS Man about Palms]

I'm glad this got bumped..mine, complete with its litter is doing great. I keep having it "in the way" it's doing so well. (knock on my marble breaking head at this point..lol) But I will post a pic or two I hope tomorrow.  

[Tracy]

8 hours ago, Dypsisdean said:

 

When grown in a climate they really like as opposed to tolerate, they are actually pretty quick growers based on how yours has performed in Hawaii!  Very nice 

[joe_OC]

7 hours ago, BS Man about Palms said:

9 hours ago, Dypsisdean said:

Not sure if that is the best exposure Joe, as that palm constantly leaned out trying to get more sun. I haven't seen it in a few years, so I'm curious how it is doing these days.

 

Dean, does it want to grow into the sun or you think it wants sun exposure when even when young?

[Dypsisdean]

4 hours ago, joe_OC said:

Dean, does it want to grow into the sun or you think it wants sun exposure when even when young?

Joe - If it were me, I would treat these in SoCal similar as to how a Howea forsteriana is treated. That is, more sun the closer to the coast and the older it is - eventually able to handle a good deal of sun, but never enjoying full blazing locations.

[joe_OC]

9 minutes ago, Dypsisdean said:

Joe - If it were me, I would treat these in SoCal similar as to how a Howea forsteriana is treated. That is, more sun the closer to the coast and the older it is - eventually able to handle a good deal of sun, but never enjoying full blazing locations.

Thanks!

[BS Man about Palms]

Well, here it is.. definitely not as big as Deans..but doing well...no Great! Stood at hood of my car to give size reference.

 

[joe_OC]

Bump!  Please show us updates.  Mine is really slow.  Thru out a stunted leaf the first year, but has an emerging spear.  Looks like it would benefit from more sun.

[Matt in OC]

@joe_OC Joe, mine still tends to lean toward the sun. I trimmed back the vine a ton last year which resulted in some burn but hasn’t set it back. I would definitely not hesitate to give it a bit of direct sun but wouldn’t bake it. I still wouldn’t classify it as slow, plus it’s just so dang gorgeous even when a 5 gal. size. I’ll try to get a pic tomorrow. 

[joe_OC]

4 minutes ago, Matt in OC said:

@joe_OC Joe, mine still tends to lean toward the sun. I trimmed back the vine a ton last year which resulted in some burn but hasn’t set it back. I would definitely not hesitate to give it a bit of direct sun but wouldn’t bake it. I still wouldn’t classify it as slow, plus it’s just so dang gorgeous even when a 5 gal. size. I’ll try to get a pic tomorrow. 

Thanks, Matt.  Looking forward to it.  How many fronds are you getting a year from yours?

[Matt in OC]

@joe_OC Hmm, probably like one and a half-ish. Not a rocket.

[The Gerg]

I really like these palms. I have successfully killed three I think. I just recently planted two small ones in a more protected / shaded place, but after reading this it makes me feel like maybe I should give it a little more sun. Hmmmm.....

[realarch]

Somehow missed this thread, what fantastic specimens. Dean, a high five and a couple of ‘good lords’. 

Finally, not too long ago,  managed to find a spot for two small ones. 

Tim

[Matt in OC]

Here you go @joe_OC  

[joe_OC]

Thanks, Matt.  How long have you had it i the ground?

[Matt in OC]

@joe_OC since mid 2016 from a Floribunda 3-gal-ish. 

I found some pics. 

[joe_OC]

Thanks, Matt.  Good growth over that time period!

[Palm Tree Jim]

I need to get a picture of mine.

Maybe once the rain stops........

[joe_OC]

Here is mine.  Planted a little over a year ago.  First frond was stunted.  Emerging spear looks good.  The back wall is SW facing.  As you can see, I am thinning out bananas to get more sun to it.

 

[Palm Tree Jim]

And mine.

 

[Tracy]

It looks like so many things they will speed up as they get larger and more established.  My wife trimmed a leaf off which was beat up after growing into the adjacent Cordyline so it's a little lopsided right now.  Waiting for the next leaf to open for it to regain balance.  It shouldn't be long as the emerging spear has split into two.

[BS Man about Palms]

Sorry, not been by here in a while... but here's an update of mine.. tip of spear is about 6'=2meters

[Hilo Jason]

Great photos everyone.  I planted 2 not that long ago. Too rainy here to take pictures right now but not looking like much yet. 

[John hovancsek]

Here is my small one planted as a small 1 gallon a year ago.  It has started to grow nicely

[Matt in OC]

New leaf opening today. Some nice girth on this with the added sunlight. 

[Hilo Jason]

4 hours ago, Matt in OC said:

New leaf opening today. Some nice girth on this with the added sunlight. 

 

Looking really good Matt!

[Hilo Jason]

Here’s one of mine. Planted not too long ago from a 3 gallon pot, then dug up to move it about 6 feet over from where I planted it originally.  Seems to be rooted in now and growing fast.  

 

[Tracy]

After watching the growth of some others here in Southern California, I wish I had planted mine in a spot where it could grow into a little more sun.  It is on the North side of my house with taller palms both east and west of it.  At the time I was planting it, the thought was to give it protection.  While it is growing and healthy, I think a spot with more am and mid-day sun would have been a better selection.  I guess I shouldn't complain, because it will remain at eye level as other palms require some distance or craning of the neck.  There are worse problems than slow growing palms that remain attractive at eye level.

[iDesign]

At @Billy request, here's my humble addition...
- 10 months from 1g (from Floribunda)
- Mostly shade (under Phoenix Roebellini) on drip irrigation / No greenhouse
- Only grew 3", but much fuller (+ just starting this year's growing season)
- You can see the original "cut' leaf on right in first photo / left on second.
- Has a healthy new spear... so far so good 

[BS Man about Palms]

I popped back by as someone liked an earlier post , so I looked. 
Mine is still growing well, but last year it started to get some leaning crown as such.  Yet, with mulch and leaf litter I was skeptical that it was boron deficient. I tied it back to try to straighten it and it seems to have recovered and the newest growth is straight too. A few months back I though maybe with all the leaves it was maybe not getting enough water. I then soaked it well every few days for a couple weeks and that seemed to help.

You can see the base is getting large. That is a 20 gal pot to the right.

 

You can see the older twist to the leaves with the most recent, straight.

 

[TomJ]

I bought two 1gl from Floridabunda in 2016.

They were in a lot of shade and growing.

Thinking they were in too much shade, I bought a 3gl from Floridabunda in 2017.

I put it in a lot more sun and it was dead in six months.

The two one gallons grew slowly.

In 2020 while I was not working, due to Covid, I took down a giant tree that was shading them.

In 2021 everything under the tree removed was burned.

Over the last year, all the filler plants boomed and provided low angle protection.

Here they are today. Happy and getting fat.

Lots of high vista sun.

This is one of the two

[TomJ]

This is the second one right next to it.